Life as a Photograph
by smc-27
Summary: Semi AU: Peyton never thought she'd be 27 and divorced and living in a city so far from home. Her best friends are determined to help her through it - especially Lucas. Will eventually be LP, with a lot of strong friendships.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Here's a little background!!

Peyton and Lucas never got together in Season 4. He and Brooke still broke up. Peyton never went to see Jake at the end of Season 3, and never had feelings for Lucas again. Most other Season 4 events took place (Psycho Derek, real Derek, Honey Grove, Jamie and Lily were born). They are all friends. Peyton went to college in Tree Hill, then moved to Chicago.

Lucas is a coach and author. Haley teaches at Tree Hill. Nathan had his accident, and now is Lucas' assistant coach. They have Jamie, and a one year old son, Matthew. Brooke lived in New York, but just moved back to Tree Hill.

Any flashbacks will be in italics.

**-----**

Peyton hadn't seen this coming. She'd had a lot of things happen to her in her life, and most of them had been out of her control. This, however, she felt like she could have stopped.

Couldn't she have tried harder? Held on tighter? Done more?

She never would have pictured herself 27 and divorced, living in a city so far away from where she grew up. She woke up every morning in the bed they'd shared for three years. She'd walk to the closet to find half of it empty - his clothing long since removed. She would go to her kitchen and make breakfast for one. There were no longer photos of them together on her walls or mantle.

Everything was empty. She was empty.

They'd met shortly after she moved to Chicago, and became fast friends. Joshua Phillips was his name, and he was captivating. He had dark hair and hazel eyes and a crooked smile that she was drawn to immediately. He had grown up in Colorado and moved to Chicago after high school for no other reason than he wanted to. He was a craftsman. He made custom furniture and owned his own shop and dressed in jeans and flip flops and plain tee shirts. He'd quote Galileo and Proust and he seemed to know a little bit about everything. They bonded immediately over their small town upbringings and love of art.

One night, after two years of friendship and a lot of shots of whiskey sitting on her living room floor listening to Willie Nelson, his favourite, he leaned in and kissed her. She felt a spark she'd only felt once before. They were inseparable after that. He moved in to her condo, and 6 months later they were engaged. Another 4 and they were married.

She'd wanted to keep the ceremony small, and she didn't expect all her friends from Tree Hill to attend, but they had. Lucas, Nathan, Haley, and Jamie flew in the day before and Brooke came in from New York.

Lucas chuckled when she asked him to be a 'brides man', but he agreed and stood next to Haley and Brooke as they watched their best friend get married.

Lucas and Joshua got along quite well. They'd met several time when Luke would visit, though he felt a pang of jealousy over the new man in his best friend's life. He felt like he had when Haley and Nathan had married - like somehow his importance in her life would dwindle. Peyton noticed almost immediately, and had promised him that he'd always be her best friend, as long as he never repeated that to Brooke.

She was happy. Truly happy. There was no underlying tension or secret or weight on her shoulders. She had an amazing job at a major record label, a gorgeous husband, and a great apartment. She thought she had it all.

Until one day, out of the blue - at least to her - he told her he was leaving. He explained that he wasn't cut out for marriage and he was feeling suffocated in Chicago. He told her he had to travel and find out who he was. She was stunned. She begged him for answers. Was there someone else? Was she that hard to live with? Was there anything she could do to help him?

There wasn't.

He was moved out that same week. The divorce was finalized a month later. He hadn't called or stopped by to see how she was, he'd just sent the papers with his signature and a red tab where she was to place hers.

That's where she was now. Sitting in an empty condo in a blue satin nightgown with her robe hanging open, looking out her window at the city she'd called home. She watched from the 10th story as families walked along the sidewalks and mothers pushed their infants in strollers. It was a life she was once so close to, but now had never felt more out of reach.

It was a Friday and the city was alive with activity. She closed her blinds to block it out. She wanted the solace of thinking everyone else was as miserable as she was. If she couldn't see their faces, she could imagine they were all unhappy.

She walked to her record player and turned on a long-forgotten album before picking up the framed photograph that sat on the shelf next to her record collection. She couldn't even remember when it was taken, though she knew it was during their senior year judging by the awful length of Lucas' hair and a very pregnant Haley. It was their entire group of friends, including Skills and Mouth, caught in a candid moment in Karen's Café. They were laughing and there were coffee cups and empty plates scattered in front of them. Simpler times, she thought. Then she saw how happy she looked in the photograph. Sitting next to Lucas and pointing across the table at Brooke. She wondered if she'd ever be that happy again.

There was a knock at the door and she closed her robe and tied it before she swung the door open. There was a UPS man in front of her, asking her to sign for a package. She scribbled on the digital pad and took the rectangular box from him.

Once inside, she tore the box open and pulled out a note with Brooke's unmistakable handwriting.

_Peyton, Just because the divorce is finalized and the marriage is over, doesn't mean it didn't leave you with some great memories. Love you, Brooke._

She sifted through bubble wrap and pulled out an 8x10 photograph from her wedding day. It was a black and white of her, Brooke, and Haley sitting in front of a mirror, fully made up and coiffed, wearing street clothes and laughing after having spent the entire day together for the first time in ages. Lucas had taken the photo and when questioned, he had simply said, "This is a moment to remember."

Peyton smiled to herself as she ran her hands over the smiling faces of her best friends beneath the glass.

She _was_ going to find that happiness again.

She sent Brooke a quick email to say thank you, and placed the new photograph on her mantle. It was time to replace old memories. Any place that had held a photo of her and Joshua, was now going to hold a photo of her with her friends.

She made her way to the hall closet, and pulled a photo box from the top shelf. She began sifting through the contents and remembering the times captured in the photos. Her, Lucas, and Brooke in front of her old car. Her dancing with Cooper, laughing with her head thrown back at Nathan and Haley's reception. Countless basketball games and cheerleading competitions. The five of them - the core five, as Brooke would say - from years ago, all happy and young. Before jobs and marriages. Before novels and coaching. Before clothing labels and adoptions. Before life-changing accidents and children and careers put on hold.

She was holding a photo of Lucas trying to plant a kiss on her cheek, lips puckered foolishly and eyes closed, and her head turned and pushing him away with her hands. Her phone rang and she reached for it, having forgotten there was a world outside her trip down memory lane.

"Hello?" she asked deadpan. She really didn't want to answer.

"Well, don't sound so excited," Lucas' voice rang out.

"Luke! Hi!" she said.

"That's more like it," he laughed. "How are you?"

"Oh God. You know, just because the divorce is final, doesn't mean I'm going to fall apart!"

"So what are you doing home at 10:30 in the morning on a Friday?" he asked. He didn't get an answer. "You forget how well I know you, Peyton."

"Yeah, yeah," she said. "I'm fine, though."

The truth was, she hadn't cried. Not one single tear. She didn't know if it was that she had willed herself not to or...what. But she had yet to cry, and she didn't expect that to change.

"You sure? Because since it's summer break, I can get away whenever. If you want company for a few days or something..." He was interrupted by a knock at her door.

"I love you for worrying, Lucas, but I'm fine," she said, walking to the door. "I don't need a babysitter."

She pulled the door open to find him standing on the other side with a cheeky smile on his face.

"Luke!" she said loudly. She threw her arms around him and heard him inhale as he reciprocated.

"Thought you might need a friend," he explained, stepping into her apartment after they'd pulled away.

"You really didn't have to do this," she said.

"Please," he said, tilting his head. "I wanted to come."

His eyes moved over her, still in her pajamas and her hair in a messy knot on the top of her head. She noticed him looking and glanced down at herself.

"Oh, God," she said, blushing. "I'm going to have a quick shower. I'll be out in a bit."

He just laughed at her as she made her way into her bedroom. He walked further into the living room and noticed the contents of the box scattered over the floor. He poured over the countless photographs while Led Zeppelin played in the background. He found a photo he didn't even know existed. It was a Polaroid of he and Peyton sitting on the grass on the quad at school. She was hunched over her sketch book and her legs were rested over top of his, and he was reading _The Scarlet Letter_. Looking at the photo, he remembered that she had forced him to read it, saying it was an epic love story. He'd later tease her that of course she'd pic a tragic tale over a traditional one, and how ironic it was, given their actions when he was with Brooke. That had earned him a glare and a playful swat.

"Hey," Peyton's voice sounded as she sat next to him, her eyes casting over the photo in his hand. "Ooo, that's a good one."

"Yeah," he agreed. "Look at you in your little plaid skirt. I swear you were trying to kill me."

"What?" she asked with a chuckle.

"You know I used to watch you?" he asked.

"What?" she asked, confused. "When!?"

"Oh, Freshman year, Sophomore year...uh...both summers actually," he said, grinning.

"Stop it," she insisted, then turned to him. "What did you watch, exactly?"

He glanced back at the photo and held it out to her. "Your legs, mostly."

"What?!" she shouted, smiling still.

"I'm serious!" he said, raising his hands and shaking his head. "You know, from up close, they're a little chicken-y..."

"Shut up!" she interrupted, hitting his arm.

"But from where I was hiding, they were pretty awesome," he chuckled.

"OK, perv. Stop it," she laughed. "How come you never told me that before?"

"Oh, come on! I didn't want you to _know_ how much of a geeky stalker I used to be," he explained.

"Right," she said with a nod. "It was better that I thought of you simply as a geek."

"Thanks," he said, hanging his head.

"So how's Kate," Peyton asked after a few moments.

Lucas had been dating Kate for about two years. She was originally from Charlotte, and they met by accident when he was in town scouting a player. She worked at the student's former school as a guidance counselor. They did the long distance thing for a year, then she moved in with him and got a job at Tree Hill High. She and Haley got along well, and Lucas loved her. She was beautiful and intelligent, and had an amazing soul.

"Fine, I think," he said, looking back to the pile of photos in front of them.

"You think? Still going for boyfriend of the year award, huh?" She playfully nudged his shoulder with her own.

"We um...we broke up," he said quietly.

"What? Lucas, I'm sorry," she said sincerely. She grabbed his hand in hers and placed it on her knee.

_"Lucas, if you're that worried about her, I'll make it really easy for you to get to her," she said angrily, throwing her things into a bag. _

_"Kate!" he shouted, trying to stop her. _

_"No, Luke. I'm not going to stand in your way. This isn't working any more," she explained, halting her actions and looking at him. "Go help your friend. I just...I can't do this any more."_

_"Kate, will you please stay?" he pleaded. "We can talk about this."_

_"I don't want to talk about it, Lucas. I'm going back to Charlotte. I've already gotten my old job back." _

_"What?" he asked, dumbfounded. "How long have you been planning this?" _

_"Since you've been more worried about your divorced friend than you have ever been about me," she said calmly. "We had a good run, Lucas. But we both know this relationship just isn't it for either of us." _

_He looked at her again and he knew she was right. He said the only thing that came to mind. _

_"I'm sorry." _

_"Don't be," she said, walking towards him. "It's just life." _

_She kissed him gently for the last time, and walked out of his room without another word. _

She'd left him two weeks prior, but he hadn't wanted to say anything to Peyton and add to her feelings of abandonment, whether it was for her or for someone else.

"Yeah. I guess it's been a tough year on hearts," he added with a chuckle.

"You've said that to me before. How sad is that?" she asked.

"Can we not be two depressed people for the weekend?" he said, standing up and reaching for her hand. He pulled her to her feet.

"Sounds perfect. What do you want to be, then?" she asked.

"Let's go for a walk," he said, pulling her towards the door. She just had enough time to grab her keys off the counter before the were out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

It was a beautiful day in the city. The sun was beating down, but there was enough of a breeze to make the heat bearable. They strolled through her neighbourhood with their arms linked, chatting and catching up. He showed her some recent photos of Nathan and Haley's year-old son, and he explained the plot of his next novel. She told him about some new bands she was scouting, and where she was focusing her energy now that she was a single girl again. They made it to a nearby park and they walked among the trees, passing young families and running children. They came to a clearing and sat right in the middle, the sun on their skin as they laid down on the grass.

"How crazy is it that Brooke's back in Tree Hill?" Lucas asked, turning his head to face her.

"I know! It sounds like she's really happy there, though," Peyton mused, still with her eyes closed and facing skyward. "And with Emma, she really wanted to get out of the city."

Brooke had adopted a little girl about 6 months prior. She was beautiful and no one had ever made Brooke as happy as that baby had. No boy or clothes or money even came close to the contentment all her friends could now see that she felt.

"You ever think about coming home?" he asked. Her eyes snapped open and she turned to him.

"Not until about a month ago," she said quietly.

He inwardly kicked himself and closed his eyes, furrowing his brow. "Peyton, I'm sorry. I didn't meant to..."

"Luke, it's OK," she said with a chuckle. "My job's here, though. I can't really leave."

"Right," he said absently.

They lay there in the grass for about an hour, mostly in silence, until Peyton felt a shadow cast across her face. She opened her eyes to find a toddler, clad in a Baby Gap polo and jeans and a little sunhat, staring down at her.

"Hey there," she said with a smile.

The little boy grinned back at her, and Lucas turned to look at them both.

"What's your name, buddy?" she asked, sitting up so her eyes were level with his.

"Parker!" a woman shouted, running towards them. She looked about their age. "I'm so sorry," she said, kneeling down and picking up her son.

"It's no problem," Peyton insisted with a laugh. "He's beautiful."

"Thanks." The woman looked over to Lucas who was smiling. "Yours will be, too," she said with a grin.

"Oh, we...we're not," Peyton stuttered, but Lucas interrupted.

"As long as they look like their mother," he said with a cheeky smile, kissing Peyton's temple.

"You're officially the most adorable couple in the park!" the woman laughed. "Sorry again," she said before walking away.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Peyton smacked Lucas on the chest.

"Lucas! What was that!?" she asked with a smile.

"Oh come on, Peyt. If you can't joke around with me, who can you joke around with?" he teased.

They got up and walked from the park to Lucas' favourite restaurant in the city, where they took their time eating and sipping beer on the patio. They walked back to Peyton's condo giggling and buzzy from the alcohol they'd had, and stopped along the way for another 6-pack.

Once inside the door, Peyton threw her keys on the counter and went to check her answering machine. It was blinking, signaling that she had a message, so she pressed the button to listen, and grabbed the beer Lucas had extended towards her.

"Mrs. Phillips, this is Maggie from Weissman's Gallery. I'm just calling to let you know that I found the piece you'd asked me to track down for your husband. It's currently at a gallery in Houston, but we'd gladly bring it in for you if you like. Call me when you get a moment, or pop in and we'll talk about delivery."

Peyton set her bottle on the counter and began picking at the label. Lucas just stood and stared at her. Just when he thought he'd pulled her from her funk, this message comes and reminds her of her failed marriage and the man she would have done anything for.

"Peyton..." he said softly.

"I'm um...I'm just going to go to bed," she said, never meeting his gaze. "You remember where everything is, right?"

"Yeah," he answered. He glanced at the clock. It wasn't even 9:00 yet. "Are you sure you're OK?"

"I didn't say I was," she said, looking at him finally. "Goodnight, Luke."

He watched as she retreated to her bedroom and closed the door behind her. He grabbed a pillow and a couple blankets from the hall closet, where she'd always kept them, and made up the couch so he could sleep there. He sat for a while, sipping his beer, angry at Joshua for hurting her like he had. How could he have done that without so much as a proper explanation? Peyton deserved so much more than that.

Once in her room, Peyton splashed water on her face and brushed her teeth to rid her mouth of the taste of beer. She pulled on a pair of sleep shorts and a tank top and lay down on her bed. Their bed. The first few nights after Joshua had left, she'd slept on her side, leaving half the bed empty and cold. Then she caught _Something's Gotta Give_ on TBS and Diane Keaton explained that the key was to sleep in the middle of the bed. She'd been doing it ever since.

Tonight was different. Tonight she could picture him coming into the room and grinning at her when he saw her laying in the centre of the bed. He'd always come in and lay on top of her when she did it, and she'd squirm and giggle and promise not to let it happen again. She secretly loved that tradition. She loved his weight on top of her and his breath on her neck as he whispered in her ear that she had to move.

She lay awake for a while and thought of him. She missed him. She missed how he'd smell like sawdust when he came home from work. She missed his rough and calloused hands running over her stomach as she lay reading at night. She missed him taking over the living room on Sunday to watch football, and yelling at the quarterbacks when they'd do something other than what he wanted them to. She missed coming home late from the office to find him sleeping on the couch with Miles Davis flowing through the apartment.

She got up from her bed and walked to her dresser, where she opened her jewelry box and took out the gold band she'd worn for three years. She held it in her hand and sighed at the thought of never wearing it again.

Most nights, she'd just deal with it and try to sleep, but this night, she knew that she had company. She had Lucas.

When she looked at the clock and saw that it was only midnight, she quietly opened the door and walked into the living room to see Lucas laying on the couch in the dark. He mustn't have heard her enter the room because he was startled when she spoke.

"Hi," she said. "Are you awake?"

"Yeah," he said softly, opening his eyes.

She walked towards him and sat on the floor next to the couch so her right shoulder was resting against the leather. She raised her arm and placed it on the couch alongside his body, and he reached for her hand.

"You OK?" he asked, already knowing the answer. She shook her head and he could see her blonde hair moving thanks to the light creeping into the room through the open windows.

"Sorry I just walked out on you," she said quietly.

"It's alright," he said with a breathy laugh.

They sat like that for a while - hands intertwined and silent. He was listening to her breathing and the sirens outside on the street. He'd known her for 10 years, and he knew better than to push her. When she wanted to talk, she'd talk.

"I miss him." She said it so quietly that he almost couldn't hear her.

"I know," he replied, stroking her arm with his free hand. She raised herself onto the couch and sat next to him.

"I miss him," she repeated, louder this time, and meeting his eyes with her own.

"I know." He sat up to face her.

"I miss him," she said once more, collapsing against him. He put his arms around her.

"I know."

He could feel the tears start to fall against his chest, and he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. She'd told him over the phone during their last conversation before the divorce papers had arrived, that she hadn't cried yet. He knew she needed it. He just let her cry against him, and ran his hand in a circle over her back. He wished he could somehow take this pain away from her and put it on himself. He knew that he should have felt badly over his own relationship ending, but if he was being honest, knowing that Peyton was in pain hurt him more than his own breakup.

It must have been a half hour before she finally pulled away from him. Neither of them had said a word during that time. The only sounds in the room were her muffle sobs and sniffles.

She raised her hands to her face. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm being such a girl."

"Peyton," he said seriously, pulling her hands away from her eyes and holding them in his. "You are allowed to do this, you know?"

"I don't want to though," she explained. "I don't want to miss him."

He reached out to wipe a freshly fallen tear. He didn't know any other way to help her, other than just being there. So he said nothing.

Peyton's bedroom had always been more of a sanctuary than anything else. Her and Joshua had spent a lot of time in there together. Every Saturday and Sunday morning, they'd drink coffee and listen to music and talk. They'd watch movies in the evenings, or laugh at the latest episode of _The Office_. It was where Joshua had proposed to her that morning, laying in bed. The art on the walls had been agreed upon by both of them. Even the 'heavy rotation pile' of CDs were a collection of their mutual favourites. It was a space where they had existed so much together, that all of a sudden was too hard to exist in alone.

"Lucas, can I sleep out here with you?" she asked timidly.

He let out a quick sigh and smiled at her. "Of course you can."

They lay back on the couch and she curled into his side.

"I just can't be in there right now," she explained.

"OK," he whispered.

He ran his hand over her arm and hoped to God that he could help fix her.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **The response to this story has been great, and I am really inspired with it - pretty much writing non-stop! I'm glad you all seem to like the LP friendship - it's actually really fun to write (and different from my usual fluff and/or angst). Enjoy!!

**-----**

They woke the next morning to the harsh sunshine pouring through the windows. She went to move, but her entire back ached and she had a crick in her neck. She was practically laying on top of Lucas, and he stirred when she moved.

"Morning," he said groggily, lifting his head. "Ow."

"I know," she said. She was not a morning person and he knew as much. "Turns out I'm not 17 any more and can't just sleep anywhere."

He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. He swung his legs around so he was sitting with his back to her, and he felt her move to sit next to him.

"Thanks...um...Thanks for last night," she said, looking at her hands in her lap.

"You don't need to thank me, Peyton," he insisted. "Get me a cup of coffee and we're even."

She laughed and got up to walk to the kitchen. She opened her cupboard to find the coffee container empty.

"Bad news," she shouted back to him. "I'm out of coffee."

"Out of coffee?" he asked, dumbfounded. "How does that even happen?"

She shot him a look. "Get dressed. I'll buy."

She went back into her bedroom and returned wearing a pair of jeans and a green halter top. Her hair was pulled up and she'd put on a little makeup. He was in jeans and a white tee shirt, sifting through the box of photographs again. When he saw her, he tucked one into his back pocket.

They walked out of her building and onto the street. She was smiling again, and he was relieved. He loved a happy Peyton.

They'd just gotten their coffees and walked back out onto the street when Peyton heard her name. She spun around and recognized the man immediately.

"Hey Jeff," she greeted him with a smile that only she and Lucas knew was insincere.

"Hey," he replied, looking to Lucas, who nodded in the stranger's direction.

"How are you?" she asked. The sooner she asked the question, the sooner the conversation would be over.

"I'm good! Talked to Josh the other day, actually," he said with an ignorant smile. "Yeah, he's down in Mexico right now."

"Oh. Great," she said, faking cheeriness.

"Yeah. Didn't take _you_ long, huh?" he said, gesturing towards Lucas again.

She didn't know what to say. This guy had always been a complete ass, but he had just crossed a line by a mile.

"Actually, Jim, was it?" Lucas asked.

"Jeff."

"Right. Jeff. I don't really see how that's any of your business. So why don't you run along and find someone else to make inappropriate comments to," Lucas finished.

"Whoa, man. I was just pointing it out," Jeff said, raising his hands in his defense.

"OK," Lucas said calmly. "And I'm just telling you to leave."

Jeff looked at Peyton who was looking at Lucas, and turned around to walk away. As soon as he'd rounded the corner, Peyton turned on her heel and started back towards her building. Lucas had to jog to catch up with her.

"Peyton, wait," he pleaded.

"No," she said defiantly.

"I'm sorry," he said desperately. "That guy was an ass!"

She stopped in her tracks. "Yes, Lucas. He's an ass. He's also Joshua's close friend, who's now going to tell Joshua that I'm with someone!"

"So!" Lucas shouted. She turned to face him. "Why do you care what Josh thinks? _He_ left _you_, Peyton."

She narrowed her eyes and let out a short breath. "Thanks a lot, Luke."

She turned and began walking up the steps to her building with him following silently behind her. He knew he shouldn't have said what he'd said to her, but it was the truth. They rode the elevator in silence for 10 floors, and she unlocked the door to the apartment and threw her keys on the counter before heading to her room and closing the door behind her.

He threw his head back in frustration, more with himself than with her. He pulled the photo from his back pocket and put it in an empty frame he'd seen in a box in the closet the night before. He stood for a minute before walking to the door and tapping gently.

"Peyton, I'm sorry," he said sincerely with his head resting against the door. There was no response from the other side. "I didn't mean for that to sound like it did." Still nothing. "I just...I think that part of letting him go is not caring what he'd think of your choices. Not that I am a choice you made. I just...God, I'm rambling. I don't ramble. I'm an author, for crying out loud. Dammit, Peyton. I'm an idiot. I'm sorry."

She'd been listening from the edge of her bed and chuckling at his little speech. He made it hard to stay mad at him, that's for sure. She walked to the door and pulled it open, to find him standing there with his hands in his pockets and a guilty look on his face.

"I only did that so you'd stop talking," she said with a smirk.

"I'm OK with that," he replied. He extended his arms to her and pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry."

"I got that," she chuckled.

"Come on," he said, gesturing towards the living room.

She put her arm around his waist and they walked to the living room, where he'd placed the framed photo on the coffee table.

"Luke, what's this?" she asked, picking it up and studying it intently.

"I told you I used to watch you," he said with a grin.

In the photo, she was standing outside the gym, leaning against one of the white pillars, and smiling sweetly at the camera, twirling a curl with her finger. In the background, a scrawny blonde boy was walking with his eyes fixed on her.

"I never noticed you in this picture before!" she exclaimed.

"Uh...thanks," he said in mock dejection.

"Thank you," she said sincerely, placing the photo on the mantle.

The two sat and spent their entire day just joking and reminiscing, recalling the times captured in the photos in the box in front of them, and in another box she'd found in the closet. Prom and basketball games, nights at Tric, beach parties. They were all laid out on the table, literally. He pretended to gag at a photo of her and Nathan kissing, and got excited over one of Brooke and Peyton leaning into each other with puckered lips for a kiss that never actually happened.

They came across one of her standing with Nathan, Dan and Deb before one of their formals.

"Sorry," she said, looking at him with a grimace on her face.

"Why?" he asked.

"Just...Dan," she said quietly.

"Dan's dead, Peyton," he explained matter-of-factly. The man had died of heart failure while in prison. Truth is, his heart had failed him long before then.

"I know," she started. "That doesn't change all the terrible things he did when he was alive."

"No, it doesn't," Lucas said. "It does make it easier to sleep at night though."

She looked at his face, and she knew exactly what he was thinking. He was thinking _'I hope I don't end up like him.' _She knew she had to stop that train of thought. She remembered the simple words he'd spoken to her that summed up his entire personality to her.

"Do you remember what you said to me Junior year? We'd talked like, twice, I think," she asked.

"No," he said, shaking his head.

"You said that you would erase your dad if it would bring back my mom," she explained. His eyes met hers and she continued. "You're never going to be like him, Luke. You're not."

He exhaled loudly and smiled at her. "Thank you," he said softly.

---

They got ready for bed separately, and she walked back into the living room in her pajamas and leaned against the door frame, watching as he arranged his pillow and blankets for the night.

"Luke," she said quietly, calling his attention to her. He spun around to see her there in her little shorts and tank top. "Why don't you sleep in my room?"

"Peyton..." he started, but she interrupted.

"It's a queen size, and your back can't take the couch," she said with a grin.

"I'm 27, Peyt., not 80," he said with a laugh. "I don't know..."

"Lucas, we're adults," she rationalized. "We used to sleep in the same bed all the time."

He laughed and walked towards her. "Not all the time. Just when you got attacked a couple times."

"You're funny," she said sarcastically as they made their way into the bedroom.

He'd only slept in the room once, before she was with Joshua. It was right after she'd bought the apartment and he visited over night while he was doing promo work for one of his books. It was different now, with new art and linens. It felt strange to him to be in the room she'd shared for so long with another man.

He walked around to the side of the bed she wasn't sitting on, and pulled back the sheets to lay down. He watched as she rubbed lotion on her hands and swung her legs beneath the covers. A whole life that he'd never gotten to live flashed before his eyes. He wondered how Joshua could have given this up. Peyton had been one of his best friends for years, and she didn't deserve this.

She smiled at him and said goodnight before turning off the bedside lamp. They lay in silence for a few minutes until he heard and felt her roll over. He instinctively knew she was staring at him.

"Lucas?" she asked.

"Yeah?"

"You think I'll ever be OK again?" Her tone was serious though her voice wavered as she spoke.

"You will be," he said, reaching out for her and placing a hand on her upper arm. "You're doing great, Peyton."

"I just...I wonder if it's all my fault," she admitted quietly.

"What?" he asked, his voice laced with surprise.

"What if I drove him away or was too much to deal with? What if I wasn't what he thought I was? What if I'm not the right woman for anyone?" she asked. "What if I'm a bad wife?" she finished somberly.

"Peyton," he said forcefully. "You did not do _any_thing wrong. You are an amazing woman and he doesn't deserve that. There is someone out there who will know how damn lucky he is when he has you. He'll hang onto you for dear life because you're everything he wants." He reached out to touch her face and found it wet with tears. "This is not your fault."

"Luke..." she started, but he cut her off.

"It's not your fault, Peyt.," he repeated, and she let out a sob. "It's not your fault."

She closed the space between then and curled into his arms. He once again felt her crying against him and wetting his shirt, but it was a small price to pay to make her feel better. She needed to feel better.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Here's an embarrassingly short chapter to tide you guys over till I post a longer one (probably tomorrow!). This just gives some more insight into Kate and another fun Lucas/Peyton friendship day. Enjoy. And if you do? Press review! (Wow. Unintentional rhyme!)

**---**

He woke up and instinctively pulled her closer and pressed a kiss to her temple. Then he opened his eyes and realized where he was and who he was with, and felt a pang of embarrassment over the simple gesture. He heard her inhale deeply and knew he'd woken her.

"Sorry," he said meekly.

"It's alright," she chuckled. She rolled over to look at the clock and he found himself staring at her midsection, where her top had ridden up to reveal her stomach. "It's 10:30!"

"Wow. Good sleep," he said with a grin when she looked back at him.

"I haven't slept that well since...." her voice trailed and she didn't finish the sentence. He knew what she was going to say. _'Since Joshua left'_. "What time does your flight leave?"

He smiled at the subject change. "4 something."

"OK. What do you want to do today?" she asked.

"I'm kind of liking this," he said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Shut up, Luke," she said with a smile. "I'm serious."

He thought for a moment while he looked at her. Her hair was matted from the pillow and her top was wrinkled. She wasn't wearing makeup, but she looked beautiful to him. The only reason he spoke was to stop himself from thinking that way about her.

"Get dressed and grab your camera," he said.

"What?" she asked with a laugh.

"Just do it!" he said. She groaned and rolled out of the bed and walked to the bathroom. He heard the water turn on and he lay there for a few minutes in disbelief of how rested he felt. That was the best nights' sleep he'd had in...years.

He thought briefly about Kate and how he felt when he was with her. In the beginning, their relationship was intense and exciting. They'd steal away for weekends together, or they'd talk on the phone all night. She'd meet him halfway between Tree Hill and Charlotte on a weeknight for a late dinner at a roadside diner, just to be near him.

After she moved in, they got comfortable, but not a good comfortable. They started going through the motions, and he felt like she was acting the way she thought he wanted her to, rather than the way she really was. The first three months she lived there, she wouldn't walk around in her pajamas; she'd wear jeans or her work clothes until it was time for bed. He found it odd, and when he brought it up, she mentioned that there was always someone just stopping by the house unannounced and it made her uncomfortable. It was one of the things he loved about his home and friends and small town, but she hated it. It had been an ongoing argument between them. He wouldn't tell his friends to stop coming around, and she never let herself feel at home around them, and she did a poor job of pretending.

The night Joshua left, Peyton had called Lucas in tears, barely able to speak through her distraught sobs. He'd been on the phone with her for an hour trying to calm her and get the whole story, while Kate sat at the kitchen table, impatiently waiting for her boyfriend to join her for the dinner she'd made them. She'd asked him to sit down with her after he'd hung up, but he explained that he needed to talk to Nathan, Haley and Brooke. The three friends had ended up at his house, sitting in the living room talking about Peyton while Kate sat, trying to hide her discomfort. That was the night she knew in her heart that it was over. As it got harder and harder to hear Peyton's name come from his mouth in worried tones, she realized that he'd always loved the girl whose green eyes had hypnotized him as a teenager, even if he didn't know it yet. She had to let him go.

Lucas made his way to the other bathroom in Peyton's apartment and had a quick shower, and laughed when he was done and dressed before she'd even turned off the water. He was perched on a barstool in her kitchen when she walked out.

"Don't say anything," she warned, knowing he was about to make a smart ass remark about the length of her shower.

He raised his hands in defeat and the took the camera from her.

"Where are we going, exactly?" she asked when they got to the elevator.

"We need new pictures, Peyt," he said with a grin. He threw his arm around her shoulder and offered the smirk she'd always secretly loved.

They spent their day walking around the city taking photos of each other in front of interesting backdrops. She'd taken a few candid shots of him when he didn't notice her. In one, he was smiling to an older woman as he held the door to a deli open for her. In another, he was walking along the path in front of her with his head down.

He'd done the same for her, though a couple of his photos were less artistic and more...influenced by the fact that he was a male. She'd dropped her wallet and bent down to pick it up and he'd snapped a photo of her behind. Another saw her seductively pulling her hair up while her eyes were closed. He teased her about it while he showed her on the camera's screen, but he loved the photo. He'd taken another, more artistic picture, of her walking next to a glass building, her profile reflected perfectly in the dark surface as her hair blew gently in the wind.

"Want me to take one of the both of you?" a stranger asked as they walked through a park.

"Sure!" Peyton said with a smile as she handed him the camera. Lucas just watched her as she smiled and ran back to him. He loved that smile.

She threw her arms around his waist and looked up at him. He looked down at her and grinned his famous grin. They didn't know the man had taken a photo at that moment, and when they looked back at the camera, he snapped another.

When they got back to her apartment, Peyton began to put the photos on her computer, and noticed the one of the two of them that neither had known was taken.

"Whoa," she said with a satisfied smirk. "Pretty good looking picture."

"Yeah," he agreed, putting his arm around her shoulder. They stood for a moment just looking at the couple on the screen. "I have to get to the airport."

She turned to him and he walked to where his things were piled on a chair and began throwing his clothes into his duffle bag.

"I'll drive you," she offered.

"Peyton, you don't have to do that," he insisted.

"Stop it. I'm driving you," she demanded, putting her hands on her hips. He smiled at her and nodded. He knew that when she took that stance, there was no changing her mind. He'd learned that Senior year, and the lesson had served him well over the years. He didn't waste his breath arguing.

They drove to the airport belting out classic rock songs that were on the radio. She laughed and teased him about his voice, and he yelled at her to stop playing air guitar while driving. When they got to their destination, she walked into the airport with him and hugged him before he went through security.

"Lucas, you really didn't have to come. But I'm glad you did," she said into his shoulder.

"Anything for you, babe," he said, pulling back to smile at her. "I'm just glad I got you smiling again."

"Thank you." Her voice was sincere and punctuated with a slight nod.

He hugged her again and kissed the top of her head and promised to call when he landed. He asked that she email him the best of the photos from their day.

She watched him disappear through the doors and the smile faded from her face. It was nice having him around. It was nice to have someone else at the apartment with her. It was nice to be a goof for a while and not worry about how she looked or how she was acting. Lucas had always put her at ease, and this weekend had been no different. He made her feel like herself again. He made her believe that somehow, everything was going to work out.


	5. Chapter 5

Two weeks had passed since Lucas' surprise visit, and Peyton had thrown herself back into her work. She talked to Brooke, Lucas, Haley or Nathan daily, and they had all laughed at the photos her and Lucas had taken on their spontaneous photo shoot.

She'd just spent an entire weekend in her apartment with the windows open and music playing. She'd drawn and sang and eaten her favourite take out and drank beer without consequence or worry.

Peyton walked into her office building on Monday morning feeling lighter somehow. She couldn't wait to get settled at her desk and do the job she loved. She got off the elevator into the reception area and it was no surprise that there was no one there. She was early as she had wanted to get a head start on the day, and their receptionist didn't show up until about 8:30.

Strolling past her boss' office, she notice him putting items into a box, with more boxes on the floor and his walls bare.

"Peter?" she said softly, tapping on his door.

"Oh, Peyton," he said, looking up from the items he was dropping into the box. "I'm glad you're here."

"What's going on?" she asked, taking another look around the office.

"We got bought out," he said after a moment of trying to find the best words to use.

"What?" she asked, shock evident in her voice. "What do you mean we got bought out?"

"It's over. They're closing this office," he explained, gesturing for her to come into his office and close the door.

"But you're the president. Why do you sound so surprised?" she asked, walking towards him.

"I'm the president, but not the owner. The holding company that owns the label decided to sell us to a conglomerate. They're taking our artists and distributing them through a separate label, but still keeping the name," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. He looked exhausted, as though he'd spent his entire weekend trying to stop the sale from going through. Knowing him, that's probably exactly what had happened.

"How is that possible? What does that mean for us?" she asked hurriedly, mimicking his stance.

"It means we're all out of jobs," he said somberly.

"We? You too?" she asked.

"Yup. I told them this was a terrible idea, and they told me that I wasn't a team player and I didn't fit into the new 'corporate model'," he said, using finger quotes around the last words.

"Peter, I'm sorry," she said sincerely.

"You're sorry?" he asked with a chuckle. "We're all screwed." He took an envelope out of his desk drawer. "Lucky for you, I busted my ass and got you all great severance packages."

"Peter," she started, taking the envelope from him and opening it. The sum was generous, to say the least. "You didn't have to do that."

"Yes, I did," he insisted. "You have worked so hard, Peyton, and you should be really happy with yourself. I wish things had gone differently. For all our sakes. You're going to go out there into the world and do so many incredible things."

She had a tear in her eye. It was over. Everything was crumbling down around her.

"Thanks," she said quietly. "How much time do we have to get out of here?"

"End of tomorrow," he informed her. "I put some boxes in your office."

"OK," she said with a weak smile, and turned to leave. She stopped to look back at him. "I'm going to be gone as quickly as possible, so thanks for everything. And I hope it all works out for you."

"Ahh," he said, waving a hand and dismissing her comment with a smile. "Things always work out, Peyton." She chuckled. He was always an optimist. "Don't be a stranger, kid."

Peyton made her way to her corner office that overlooked the city she'd spent 5 years in, and all of a sudden, it felt empty. There was officially nothing left for her in Chicago.

She began placing her personal items in a box carefully. She picked up a couple photos that had been arranged on her desk; one of her and her father, and another of her and her friends in Honey Grove.

It only took her about an hour to gather her things, and she ducked out of her office quickly to say goodbye and hand out hugs to the colleagues she'd worked with for so long. There were a few tears, but she'd kept herself composed.

Once she had walked back to the parking garage and placed her box of belongings in her trunk, she sat in the driver's seat and grabbed her phone from her bag. She took a deep breath as she dialed Brooke's number

"Hey Brooke, it's me," she said quickly.

"Hey Peyton, what's up?" Brooke said. Something about her friend's tone worried her.

"I need a favour. You think you could pick me up at the airport today?" she asked.

"What?!" Brooke shrieked.

"I'm coming to Tree Hill," she clarified.

"Yeah, I got that," Brooke laughed. "Why? What's going on?"

"I'll tell you all about it later, OK? If I text you with the time, can you pick me up?" she asked again.

"Of course! Oh my God! You can finally meet Emma in person! She's so cute right now that you won't be able to even handle it," Brooke rambled, then switched to a baby voice. "Aren't you, baby girl? Aren't you just so cute?"

"Brooke!" Peyton shouted with a laugh, trying to get her friend's attention.

"Right! Sorry. I'll see you later," she said happily.

"And Brooke?" she said. "Don't tell anyone, OK?"

"OK," Brooke agreed.

Peyton drove home as carefully as she could given the surge of excitement she felt since deciding to take this little vacation. She ran into her apartment and packed a rather large suitcase. She didn't know how long she'd be in Tree Hill for, or what kind of clothes she'd need while she was there, so she packed a little bit of everything. Including, for reasons she could not understand or rationalize, her wedding ring.

An few hours later, she was sitting on the only plane out of Chicago heading for Tree Hill. She watched the city vanish beneath her as she got closer and closer to her destination, and could feel herself relax more and more as the altitude of the plane climbed.

Then she remembered the last time she went to Tree Hill. She and Joshua had flown in about a month after Nathan and Haley's son, Matthew was born. That was over a year ago now. It wasn't the first time they'd been there together, and Joshua had done all the driving for the 5 days they were there, now that he knew where everything was. They'd rented a car, since her dad had told her that her old car had failed to start when he'd tried, and they drove around the back roads listening to the most fitting music. She'd rested her head on his shoulder as they drove, and they'd stayed on the pull out couch of her father's new, much smaller home.

Now she was going alone.

She pulled out her phone and scrolled through the photos it held, and she realized she _wasn't_ alone. She had Brooke and Emma, Lucas, Nathan and Haley and their boys. She knew Skills and Mouth and the 'River Court guys' were still there. They were her family.

The plane pulled into the gate and she rushed to baggage claim to pick up her massive suitcase. Luckily it was Brooke picking her up, or she would have been ridiculed to no end about its size. Brooke would understand.

Walking into the main arrivals area of the airport, she saw Brooke standing making goo goo eyes with the baby in her arms, and smiled immediately at the sight. She resisted the urge to run straight towards them. Instead, she walked calmly to her friend until she was noticed.

"Peyton!" Brooke shouted. "Hi!"

"Hey Brooke," she said. "And hey little girl."

She ran her hand over the Emma's head and looked back at Brooke, who was smiling widely.

"Here," the brunette said with a smile, ready to pass Emma to Peyton.

Peyton reached out and pulled the child close to her body, tickling her belly with her fingertips and making the little girl squirm and gurgle in that adorable baby way.

"Brooke, she's beautiful," Peyton said, a tear pooling in her eye. Brooke Davis was a _mom_.

"I know, right?" Brooke smiled and took her daughter in her arms. "Now, let's go sneak up on uncle Luke at the gym and surprise him with your aunt Peyton!" She spoke to the child and Peyton couldn't help but laugh.

They drove through the town and Peyton had to smile at the sense of belonging she immediately felt. It was as though as soon as she stepped off the plane, something shifted in her. The town held it's fair share of painful memories, that's for sure. But it also held a lot of great ones.

She filled Brooke in on her work situation, or lack thereof, when questioned about the sudden trip. She'd replied that she wasn't sure when she was going back when she was asked. Brooke could only smile. It felt good to have her best friend next to her again.

They pulled up to the high school and it felt like she'd entered a time warp. Every time she'd gone back to that building, she felt 18 again. She now realized that all those dreams and ideas that you have when you graduate high school are just that - dreams. Some you can come close to, some you get. But it's hard to hang on to any of them for too long.

"So listen, I'm going to head home," Brooke said as Peyton hopped out of her SUV.

"OK, sure," Peyton said with a smile.

"I have a spare room for you if you need it. I mean, if you can handle being woken up by a crying baby at all hours of the night," Brooke said with a laugh, gesturing towards the sleeping infant in the back seat.

"That sounds perfect," she said with a smile. "Thanks, Brooke. For everything. I'll just have Luke drop me off later." She closed the door and waved as her friend drove away.

She walked into the gym, and she could remember vividly the last time she'd been there. When they'd visited last, she'd brought Joshua to a game. Though he wasn't a basketball fan, he'd gone because she'd asked him to. She'd sat in the stands and cheered on the team and yelled at the refs and she and Brooke jokingly started up some of their cheers from so long ago when they'd wear the uniform on game nights.

Lucas was alone in the gym, and he didn't hear or see her walk in. He'd just sent up a shot from the three point line, and watched as it bounced off the rim and away from him.

"Hard to believe you won a state championship with moves like that," she called out from behind him.

He spun around to look at her, and was frozen in his place.

"Hey," she said with a smile, closing the distance between them.

He pulled her into a hug before he'd said a word, and when they parted, he looked at her as though he had to make sure she was real.

"What...What are you doing here?" he stuttered.

"It's a long story," she said cryptically, then immediately corrected herself. "Actually, it's not. My label was sold and our office closed so I'm out of a job and I decided to come here and figure out what I'm going to do instead of staying alone in Chicago."

He could only chuckle as she rambled out her speech.

"Well, I wish it was under better circumstances, but it's great to have you here," he said with a smile, throwing an arm around her shoulder.

She pulled away from him and picked a basketball up off the rack that was next to them, wildly throwing it towards the hoop.

Nathan walked in just in time to see her arms flail as she let go of the ball. "Jeez, Sawyer. That's not the jump shot I taught you."

"Nate!" she shouted, turning around and running into his open arms.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" he asked with a chuckle as he regained his balance.

"Just visiting. And apparently getting critiqued on my form," she said dryly.

"Looks good from here," Lucas teased suggestively, earning him a slap on the arm from Peyton and a high five from his brother.

"It's so nice to know that the Scott brothers haven't changed at all in the 10 years since high school," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Come on! We've changed," Nathan exchanged. "Guys just never really grow up."

"Good to know," she said with a laugh. "So which one of you wants to buy me dinner?"

Nathan put up his hands in defeat. "I have to get home to the wife and kids."

"Aww. Nathan Scott, Family Man," she said with a smile, and leaned in to hug him again. "Guess it's you, then?" she directed at Lucas.

"Fine," he groaned teasingly. "Let's go."

She threw her arms around both their waists and the three of them walked out of the gym together and into the parking lot. She asked Nathan not to tell Haley that she was in town, because she wanted to surprise her later. Peyton had a vivid flashback to 'The Original Triangle', as Brooke called it. She had to inwardly laugh at how much things had changed over the years. Lucas and Nathan had gone from strangers, to enemies, to best friends and brothers. Peyton had gone from Nathan's girlfriend, to Lucas'...whatever she was, to their best friend. It made her realize again just how unpredictable life can be.

-----

Peyton and Lucas sat on a patio overlooking the river as they ate and sipped 'd always been comfortable in his presence, but it dawned on her that she hadn't spent time with him one-on-one in Tree Hill in years. When she brought it up, he just laughed and shook his head; he hadn't realized it either.

"So where are you staying, exactly," he asked as they were leaving the restaurant.

"Brooke's place. I told her you'd drop me off there," she explained.

"You're going to stay at Brooke's place?" he asked skeptically with a smirk.

"Yeah, why?" she asked, furrowing her brow.

"Because Emma only sleeps like, two hours a night and let me tell you, that little girl has a set of lungs on her," he chuckled. "Peyton, there's no way you'll get any sleep there."

"Oh come on, Luke. It can't be that bad," she argued.

"I'm just telling you because I don't want to have to deal with bitchy Peyton for...however long you're sticking around," he said with a laugh, earning him a swat to the arm.

"Well where do you suggest I stay?" she asked when they reached his car.

"My place," he said with a shrug. "You can sleep in the spare room."

"Luke, I can't ask you to do that."

"You didn't ask. I offered," he said, pulling away from the curb and driving in the direction of Brooke's house.

She smiled at him and shook her head. He was probably right - she needed sleep. She also would have felt guilty staying with Brooke, since all she'd heard for the past 6 months was how much the brunette loved having the baby all to herself. She didn't want to intrude, and though Brooke would never say that she was, Peyton didn't want to barge in and change their routine.

Of course, when they got to Brooke's house, she'd insisted it was no problem for her to stay there, but she relented when Lucas pointed out that Peyton would go crazy and be moody if she didn't get her sleep. Brooke just laughed and said she understood, but that she still wanted some one-on-one time with her best friend.

Lucas grunted and groaned and made snarky comments as he hoisted Peyton's suitcase up the steps to his house. She teased him that she'd managed it just fine on her own.

"So here's your room," he said, pushing open the door to the spare bedroom in his house.

"You mean your mom's room?" she asked with a grin.

"It hasn't been hers in like, 8 years," he explained.

She rolled her suitcase into the room and turned back to look at him.

"Thanks, Luke. I appreciate this," she said sincerely.

"Not a problem."

"I'm just going to change and stuff," she informed him. She ran a hand through her hair and couldn't wait to pull it into a ponytail and get into some pajamas after such a long day.

"Alright. I'll be in my room," he said.

He closed the door for her and she stood in the room alone. She'd never really spent any time in there, save for when Lily was a baby and she was helping Karen look after her. The room was tastefully decorated in dark hues and linens. It felt comfortable to her somehow, though she'd initially worried that it would be really creepy to sleep in Karen's room.

She unzipped her suitcase and pulled out a simple green satin nightgown and pulled it over her head. She knew the summer heat of North Carolina well, and the satin felt cool and comforting against her skin. She quickly pulled her hair up into a messy knot and stood for a moment again, reflecting on how crazy her day had been.

Lucas felt an unexpected excitement knowing that Peyton would be staying at his house for as long as she was in town. Since he'd returned from Chicago after their weekend together, he'd missed her. He always missed her - she was one of his best friends. But this was different. He missed waking up next to her and falling asleep with her, even though he'd only done it twice in recent years. He'd tried to stop the thoughts, but he didn't know where they were stemming from, so it had been near impossible. He'd vowed not to get mixed up in that - in her - again. She had been married for three years, and she'd only been single for just over a month. And he couldn't risk his friendship. He chalked it up to loneliness and tried to bury the memory of her skin against his.

He'd just laid down on his bed with the book he was currently reading when he heard the door down the hall open. He looked up just in time to see a satin-clad Peyton walking past his door and into the kitchen._ 'Damn, she's beautiful,' _he thought. He had to remind himself to stop those thoughts. She was comfortable enough around him to not worry about what she was wearing, or in this case, what she wasn't wearing.

"You want some tea?" she called to him. She still knew where everything was in the house, and so she filled the kettle and grabbed a mug and some lemon tea from the cupboard.

"Sure," he shouted back. He felt badly for yelling across the house, so he got up and walked into the kitchen after a few minutes. He stood in the doorway and watched as she ran her right foot up the back of her left calf absentmindedly. It was something he'd seen her do a thousand times before, but it was suddenly the sexiest thing he'd ever witnessed. She poured boiling water into two mugs and he had to give his head a shake.

"Here you go," she said, turning around and extending the mug to him.

He nodded his thanks and smiled. He turned to walk back into his room, and set the mug on the table next to his bed before sitting against the headboard and grabbing his book again. She'd followed him in and perched next to him on the edge of the bed.

"Whatcha reading?" she asked playfully, as though she couldn't just read the cover herself.

He chuckled and held the book up to show it's title.

"_Pride and Prejudice_? Kind of girly, don't you think?" she teased, brushing against his leg with her arm accidentally.

"What?" he asked, surprised. "This is a classic love story."

"What is it with you and love stories?" she laughed. "It's all a fairytale anyway," she finished somberly.

He sighed and offered a weak smile. "You know what you told me about fairytales, Peyton?"

She remembered Ellie's words from so many years ago, and rolled her eyes at him.

"That was before I had my heart ripped out," she said, attempting to joke. She knew, though, that Lucas would be able to read her through the sarcasm.

He didn't know what to say, so he said nothing. He just dropped his hand to her thigh and moved his thumb comfortingly. He wished he'd thought that move through a little more, because the feel of the thin satin moving over her flesh was enough to just about drive him crazy. He pulled his hand away and picked up his mug to keep himself occupied.

"I have the perfect book for you to read," he finally said, rolling off the bed and heading towards his crowded bookshelf. "I mean, if you want to."

"Sure," she said with a shrug of her shoulders. "I mean, reading was always more your thing, but I guess if I'm going to be staying here, I have to do something to keep myself occupied when your nose is buried in some Jane Austen," she teased.

He groaned and rolled his eyes at her as he pulled a brightly coloured book off the shelf. It didn't seem to fit in among the classics and leather bound hardcovers he'd accumulated over the years. He handed the book to her and laid back down on the bed.

"_Love is a Mixtape. Love and Loss, One Song at a Time_," she read. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Just trust me," he said.

She always had.

She got up and walked to the other side of the bed and sat next to him against the headboard and opened the book to the first page. He turned on some music and the two sat there for a long while, just reading and sipping tea in each others' company.

She couldn't help but notice how natural it felt to be there in that moment, with him sharing such a personal past-time with her. It felt nice. It felt...normal.

**----**

**A/N**: _Love is a Mixtape _by Rob Sheffield is an incredible read for anyone who is interested in music and/or human emotion. I highly recommend it.

Oh yeah, reviews make the world go 'round. (Maybe not, but they're still nice.)


	6. Chapter 6

Peyton knocked gently on the door of Nathan and Haley's house, and heard nine-year-old Jamie shouting that someone was at the door. She laughed at how normal that sounded - instead of getting the door himself, he'd call for someone else. Nathan used to do the same thing when he lived with Dan and Deb.

Lucas had dropped her off and told her of some errand he had to run, and that he'd be back later.

Haley swung the door open and shook her head in surprise. She had Matthew on her hip, but pulled Peyton into a one arm hug.

"Hi!" she said as they embraced. "Come in! What are you doing here?!"

"I'm surprising you, and stealing this baby, and loving him to death!" she joked, pulling the boy into her own arms.

"Did Nathan know you were here? Is that why he was acting so weird last night when I said I was going to call you?" Haley asked with a hand on her hip.

"He may have seen me yesterday," Peyton said, scrunching her nose, hoping she hadn't gotten Nathan in trouble. Haley just smiled and shook her head.

"Well. there's a message from me at your apartment that you can delete," she laughed.

Peyton was holding onto Matthew and smiling at him as his hand tangled in her hair. They walked into the living room where Jamie was playing some basketball video game.

"Jamie, look who's here?" Haley said sweetly.

The blonde boy spun his head around and a smile broke on his face. "Aunt Peyton!" he shouted, running towards her for a quick hug.

"Hey bud. How's it going?" she asked with a chuckle.

"Not bad. No school, so I'm just chillin'," he said nonchalantly, heading back to the sofa.

"Right on," Peyton laughed.

"Come on, I'll make some tea," Haley said, rolling her eyes at her son's words. He had clearly picked a few things up from Skills.

Peyton set the infant in his playpen and turned her attention back to Haley.

"Where are you staying? How long are you staying? Why are you here?" Haley asked the questions in rapid fire succession as she filled the kettle and reached for a couple mugs.

"I'm staying at Luke's, I'm here for...however long I want to be, and I'm here because my label was sold and I now have no job and no husband to go back to," she said matter-of-factly.

"Oh, Peyton. I'm sorry," Haley said softly, laying her hand over top of her friend's.

Haley had been a constant source of comfort for Peyton over the years, and especially in the wake of her separation and divorce. Haley always had kind and caring words and knew how to make Peyton feel better. It was cliché, she knew, but Haley was the one person she knew she could call no matter what, and be given the perfect motivational words. On the days when she'd found it hard to get out of bed, Haley, even in a 3 minute conversation, could help Peyton see the silver lining.

"Yeah. It kind of sucks, actually," she said with a slight laugh. It was as though she was just realizing how terrible things were in that moment. Maybe she was.

They stood like that in silence until the kettle whistled and Haley poured water into their mugs.

"It's great to have you here, though," she said with a smile as she handed Peyton a mug.

"Thanks. It's actually really nice to be back. I kind of just want to reconnect with myself again, if that makes any sense," she said.

"That totally makes sense. Sometimes you have to come home, right?" Haley said, smiling.

They spent the rest of their morning and early afternoon chatting and playing with the kids. They sat outside in the sun while Jamie showed his 'aunt' his basketball moves, and Matthew toddled around them.

If Jamie was identical to his uncle, Matthew was 100 per cent his father. He had the Scott blue eyes, and Nathan's dark hair. He even had the little dimple in his chin that Nathan had.

Peyton was about to comment on the similarities when Lucas drove up and their attention turned to him. He got out of his car and was looking back down the road in the direction he had come from. Haley and Peyton exchanged confused glances until they saw Nathan drive up in Peyton's old car.

"Lucas!" she shouted, walking towards her car. "What did you do!?"

"Just applied some of the skills I picked up working in the old shop," he said with a grin. "Your dad gave me the keys a while ago."

She threw her arms around him and whispered a thank you in his ear.

"Nathan even managed not to crash it this time!" he said sarcastically.

"Very funny, Lucas," he said, getting out of the car and walking over to hug Peyton.

"You helped?" she asked with a cocked eyebrow. He'd never been so mechanically inclined.

"Sure I did! I handed Luke the tools he needed," he explained, making them all laugh.

Jamie had run over to look at the vintage vehicle, and Haley had walked towards them with Matthew in her arms, who immediately reached out his little arms to be held by his father.

Peyton watched as Lucas opened the hood and pointed out the mechanics of the car to Jamie as the boy listened intently. She smiled at the sight. He'd always been great with kids - they were drawn to him - but something was different now. She suddenly could see him as a father, and she'd never truly seen that before. She was pulled from her thoughts when Nathan handed her the keys.

"Go on, Sawyer," he said. "Take her for a drive."

She smiled and waved goodbye to them, and pressed a kiss to Matthew's forehead, and walked towards her car.

"Mom, can I go with Peyton?" Jamie pleaded as Lucas slammed the hood shut. He chuckled at his nephew's desire to spend time with his 'aunt'.

Haley looked over to Peyton who was smiling and gave a nod.

"Sure, baby, but be good! You do what Peyton says," Haley shouted.

"I'll bring him back in a little bit," Peyton promised.

She smiled at Lucas as she got into the car and sat behind the wheel that she'd spent so many hours with her hands on. She asked Jamie if he was buckled in, and he gave her a thumbs up, and she pulled away from the curb with the top down, her hair blowing wildly in the wind.

"Where do you want to go?" she asked Jamie.

"I don't know. Just drive," he said with a smirk, making her laugh.

That's exactly what she felt like doing. No destination, no roadmap, or timeline or specific purpose. Just drive.

She popped a CD into the player and the sounds of Bob Marley flowed from the speakers. She looked over to Jamie again and he was bobbing his head and smiling. This was a moment she wouldn't soon forget.

----

Peyton was guiding the car down a back country road when Jamie turned to her, eyes full of questions.

"What's up, Jamie?" she asked, knowing he had something to say.

"How come you and uncle Luke never dated?" he asked innocently.

She laughed loudly and tried to cover it up by turning it into a cough. "I um...Luke and I are just friends. We're best friends."

"I know. But that's not what I asked," he said with a smile.

"You are too much like your mother, you know that?" she said, glancing over at him for a moment. "Your uncle Luke and I just have a really special friendship and we never wanted to mess that up by _dating_." She said the last word in a goofy voice, making Jamie giggle.

"Did you know my grandpa Dan?" he asked after a moment.

The expression on her face changed to a serious one. She had to choose her words carefully. She knew, based on conversations with Haley, that Jamie had always been curious about his grandfather, and she didn't want to say the wrong thing.

"Yeah, I knew Dan," she said stoically. "When I dated your dad, I spent a lot of time at their house."

"You dated my dad!?" he asked with wide eyes.

_'Dammit,' _she thought.

"Um, yeah. A long time ago. Before either of us met your mom," she explained delicately.

"Weird," he said simply. Thankfully, he dropped the subject, though she was sure she'd face questions from Nathan and Haley when their son told them what he'd heard.

She continued driving and soon they were heading back into Nathan and Haley's neighbourhood. She pulled up in front of their house again and walked Jamie to the door. She said goodbye to the Scotts and thanked Jamie for keeping her company, and promised she'd take him for another drive soon.

Then she got the hell out of there before Jamie told his parents what he'd learned from his aunt Peyton that afternoon, driving the back roads of town.

----

Peyton entered Lucas' house with the key he'd given her years earlier, and found a note on the kitchen table.

_At the River Court, then hanging out with the guys. Back later. -Lucas_

She decided to make herself a quiet dinner and dive back into the book he'd given her to read the night before.

She'd eaten and changed into her nightgown and settled onto the couch with Ray Lamontagne playing in the background and a light blanket over her lap, and she opened the book to the page where she'd left off.

She wasn't sure how long she'd been sitting there reading, but when Lucas walked in, she had tears in her eyes. She was moved by the book and the simple way the author had described the events.

Lucas saw the tears on her face, and heard her sniffle and went to kneel by the couch.

"Peyt.," he said softly, reaching out to wipe her cheek.

"It just got really sad," she explained.

"I know," he answered with a nod. "You OK?"

"Uh huh," she nodded, wiping the last of her tears.

"I'm going to have a shower," he said with a small smile, worried about leaving her.

She nodded again and he stood and made his way to the bathroom.

He hated himself for thinking it, but he loved that she'd cried over a book. A book he'd recommended, no less. He loved knowing she'd been touched by the same passages he had, and that her eyes had moved over the same words his had, and that her hands held the pages in the same places his had. Why was he thinking this? Why was the simple act of reading a book suddenly such a personal connection for them?

He walked from the shower holding his towel closed around his waist and she looked over when she heard him padding down the hall. He smiled at her when he caught her gaze, and went into his room to put on some clothes.

Peyton's only thought was_ 'Wow'_. Of course, she'd seen him without a shirt on before, but not recently. She had noticed his body change over the years, but hadn't really taken the time to study it. For some reason, that's all she wanted to do after getting that glimpse. Her words to Jamie flooded back into her mind, and she reminded herself that they were just friends. Sure, he was attractive and fit and tanned, but he was Lucas. Her friend.

He walked out in a black wife beater and a pair of grey shorts. He saw her staring off into space and chuckled to himself before walking into the kitchen and getting them each a glass of water.

When he re-entered the living room, she was still lost in thought. It wasn't until he sat down at the end of the couch that she noticed him and chuckled nervously. She could feel the blush creeping to her cheeks, so she looked back down to the book in her hands.

After a couple minutes of just sitting there together, she couldn't take the silence any longer. He wasn't doing anything - just sitting next to her - and she was completely distracted. After reading the same sentence five times in a row, she closed the book and looked over at him.

"How are the guys?" she asked.

"Surprised that you're here," he said with a smirk. "How was your little road trip with James?"

"It was great. I love that kid," she said. She smiled remembering her day. "He's too smart for his own good, you know?"

"Oh, I know," he laughed. "What'd he say now?"

"Umm...well...he asked why you and I never dated," she said nervously. His laughter didn't put her at ease.

"How'd you answer that one?" he asked. He wasn't sure why, but part of him really wanted her to say that she didn't know why they never dated, or that she'd always wanted them to. But that thought was crazy. They were just friends. It had been his mantra for the past couple weeks. They were just friends.

"I told him our friendship is too special," she explained softly.

They sat in silence for a few moments letting those words sink in. He didn't want to ask the question, but it was something he'd been thinking about a lot. They'd never really talked about it, but he had to know.

"What do you think would have happened if you hadn't run away the night of Dan's party? Or if I hadn't started dating Brooke?" he asked, his eyes meeting hers.

"I don't know, Lucas," she said honestly. "But since we're not together, I don't think we were ever meant to be."

"Maybe," he said with a laugh.

"You're my best bud!" she said, playfully punching his shoulder. "I'm kind of glad things turned out the way they did."

Even as she said the words, something inside her wondered if she really meant them. What if she _had_ stayed with him the night of the party? What if, somewhere along the line, before moving away and getting married and published novels and live-in girlfriends, they _had_ acknowledged that their connection was a rare one. What if, that day in the library, she'd meant that _'I love you' _differently? Or he'd interpreted it differently? There were too many _what ifs_ flooding her mind, and she glanced at the clock, thankful that it showed an acceptable hour to head to bed.

"I'm going to get some sleep," she announced, pulling her legs down off the couch and standing.

"OK. Goodnight," he said with a smile. It was a fake one, and he was thankful that her back was to him. He didn't want her to see the disappointment on his face after learning that she was glad they never dated.

Peyton laid down in bed and as soon as her head hit the pillow, she couldn't stop herself from thinking of how close he was. He was in the next room. He'd be sleeping so close to her, but on his own. She shouldn't be thinking of another man. She was a divorcée. _Divorcée_. The word sounded terrible. It was a word she'd always hated. Now she was one. She rolled onto her side and let a tear fall onto the pillow. She had no idea where it had come from.

Lucas made his way to his bedroom and pulled back the sheets on his side of the bed. _His side_. The entire bed was his side now. Except for the previous evening when she'd sat with him and read for a couple hours before retiring to her room. He shouldn't want to share a bed with his best friend. That longing shouldn't be there. But dammit, he wanted her next to him for reasons that he _still_ couldn't explain.

They were just friends.


	7. Chapter 7

A couple days passed and Lucas and Peyton had fallen into an easy rhythm. They each liked 'living' with the other, though neither had dared to admit it. Lucas had told her that it was nice to have another body in the house again, and she'd told him the same. The silence of their previous weeks alone had been deafening.

She'd done their laundry and tidied, and when he insisted that she didn't have to do it, she told him she didn't mind at all and that she just wanted to 'earn her keep'. He wondered how she ever could have thought she wasn't a good enough wife. Not that he thought that cooking and cleaning were the only requirements, but she just _cared_. She did little things because she wanted to and knew he'd appreciate them. He found himself longing for that in reality. He knew Peyton would leave and he'd be alone again, but he wanted that comfort. He wanted to take care of someone and have someone take care of him. What more could he ask for?

She'd finished the book he'd given her to read, and they had an in-depth discussion about its themes and shared their favourite passages. They talked about music as it pertains to human emotions, and the power it has to speak for you when you can't find your own voice. Her insight made him smile. The author had taken Peyton's favourite thing in the world, music, and Lucas', literature, and blended them together. Maybe that's what had drawn Lucas to the book in the first place.

Friday morning, Lucas walked into the kitchen to find Peyton in her pajamas standing at the stove with a mug of coffee in one hand and a spatula in the other.

"What's this?" he asked, sitting at the table in front of the mug she'd set there for him.

"I'm making French toast," she replied simply.

Kate used to make him pancakes every Sunday morning. He didn't like pancakes. French toast was his favourite, but he didn't have the heart to tell her. So each Sunday, he'd choke back the pancakes she'd so sweetly made him without complaint.

"I love French toast," he said with a grin.

She turned to him and smiled back. "I know."

Of course she knew.

She set a plate of fresh cut fruit in front of him and went back to the stove.

"A guy could get used to this, you know?" he teased, tossing a piece of melon in his mouth.

"Well, lucky for you, I have nothing to rush back to," she explained, trying to joke. He knew it was hard for her to have to admit that.

"Have you thought about what you're going to do?" he asked.

"Not really. I mean, there's really nothing in Chicago for me any more. Work was the only thing keeping me sane, you know?" He nodded his understanding and she flipped the contents of the pan. "I guess I could apply at other labels."

"What about that business plan you did up all those years ago?" he asked.

He'd remembered her telling him all about it - the plan to open her own label some day. It had been an assignment for one of her college courses, and her professor had given her the highest mark in the class and told her that it was the most well-thought-out plan he'd read in ages.

"Oh God. How do you remember these things?" she teased, and he smiled innocently and shrugged his shoulders.

"Peyton, you'd be great at it, and you know it," he insisted. "What's stopping you? You have the contacts, you clearly have the head for it."

"Let's see, Luke. There's the fact that my life is in complete limbo, the music scene in Chicago is a total mess right now. And oh yeah, that little thing called money." She listed off the reasons as she drizzled syrup over his plate and set it in front of him.

"Didn't you get severance from your company? And I know you've been saving for years, Peyt.," he argued. "I'm sure you could get some loans or something."

"Lucas, I don't know," she said, sitting next to him with a plate of her own.

"You could move back here," he suggested softly, looking at his plate instead of at her.

"What?" she asked, surprised.

"You could sell your place and buy an entire house here with the money from the sale," he pointed out. "You said it yourself - there's nothing in Chicago."

"You're serious," she said with a furrowed brow.

"We miss you, Peyt.," he said with a slight shrug of his shoulders.

She sat for a moment and watched as he put a forkful of his breakfast in his mouth. Could she do this? Was there any reason not to? Maybe he was right. But the thought of leaving Chicago somehow felt like she'd failed. She'd failed in the industry and as a wife, and had to run away from the city with her tail between her legs.

Her silence had made him think that he'd said too much or pushed too hard. He wanted her back in Tree Hill. For good. He wanted his best friend around. He knew it was selfish of him to have suggested it, but at the same time, he knew that she'd be great at whatever she did - especially owning her own label.

Luckily, the tension was broken when Brooke walked through the door toting Emma in her arms. She stopped in her tracks when she saw the scene in front of her.

"OK, you guys know you're _not_ an old married couple, right?" she teased, making the two blondes laugh.

"What's up, Brooke?" Lucas asked, reaching out to take the fair-haired baby from her arms. He held her close to his body and pressed a kiss to her cheek, making both the women in the room's hearts swell.

"I just got a call from a really amazing bridal boutique in New York that wants to carry my line," she explained.

After she'd divested her interests in Clothes Over Bros, Brooke had been asked to design a wedding dress for one of her friends in New York. The dress had been such a hit that she was asked by two other people for custom dresses, and now she was successfully running a brand new company, with her bridal designs in boutiques across the country. And Clothes Over Bros had gone out of business 8 months after Brooke had left.

"That's awesome!" Peyton exclaimed.

"Well, yes. But, they want me to go to a meeting, and I have to bring Emma to New York and I don't know how I'm going conduct a meeting with no one to watch her," Brooke stated.

"Don't be stupid! Leave her with me. I'll watch her for a couple days," Peyton offered.

Brooke looked at her like she was crazy. "What?"

"I'm not doing anything else. I'd love to help you out," the blonde explained with a shrug of her shoulders. She reached out and the little girl grabbed onto her thumb.

"Come on, Brooke. It'll be fine," Lucas said.

"Peyton, what do you know about babies?" Brooke asked, putting a hand on her hip.

"A lot!" she cried indignantly. "Jenny Jagielski ring a bell?"

"Oh yeah. Have you heard from Jake?" Brooke asked curiously.

"No. Not in years," Peyton said with a laugh. For some reason, Lucas felt relief wash over him when he heard her say the words.

"I don't know, guys. I've never been away from her over night," she explained, taking the baby into her arms again.

"I understand," Peyton nodded. "But we're here if you need us. You know we're capable."

Brooke took Emma's hand in her own and stared at her daughter for a moment.

"I really should go to this meeting," she admitted. "OK. You guys can watch her. But I'm leaving you with my car, because neither of yours are equipped for a car seat, and I'll leave you with all her things and a key to the house so that if you need anything, you can just go pick it up. And..."

"Brooke," Peyton interrupted. "It'll be fine."

"OK. I'll call you with the details. They mentioned Monday morning, so I'll probably fly out Sunday. I mean, if you're OK to watch her for that long," Brooke said.

"Of course. Just let us know," Lucas said with a grin.

They said their goodbyes and Lucas and Peyton were left to their breakfast. They sat silently for a few minutes, each contemplating the undertaking they'd just agreed to. But, there was two of them and one baby.

"Sorry I kind of dragged you into that," Peyton chuckled. She hadn't even asked him if it was alright to bring an infant into his home.

"It's OK!" he insisted. "It'll be fun." He shrugged his shoulders and ate the last of his French toast and cleared their plates.

Peyton couldn't get the image of him holding the blonde baby out of her head.

---

Brooke had dropped Emma off at Lucas' house Sunday morning, having set up a couple meetings in New York. Lucas had plans with Skills, so he had offered to drive Brooke to the airport, then he wouldn't be back until later that afternoon. Peyton was relieved; she wanted some alone time with the little girl to connect and make up for all the time she'd lost by not being around.

Things had gone well all day. She'd fed Emma and changed her and put her down for a nap, and everything was going smoothly. Until she started screaming and Peyton couldn't figure out why. She'd tried feeding her, changing her again, stuffed animals, holding her, leaving her to cry. Nothing was working.

She'd put the radio on in the background earlier that day, and a Prince song came through the speakers. Peyton hadn't heard it in ages and began to shimmy around the kitchen while Emma screamed from her high chair. She was fixing a bottle and spun around to sing the lyrics to the baby.

"You don't have to be beautiful..." For some reason, Emma stopped her crying the more Peyton sang. Peyton clapped and squealed her relief and kept on singing and dancing, complete with hand movements and using the bottle as a microphone. A smile broke on Emma's face, and it was the best thing that had happened to Peyton all day. She lifted the smiling girl out of her chair and placed her on her hip while she spun around the kitchen singing _Kiss_.

Lucas walked up the steps to his house and heard the music flowing out through the open windows. He laughed to himself - he'd never taken Peyton for a Prince fan. He walked into the house and made his way to the kitchen, where he saw the Peyton holding Emma and shaking her hips to the music. He chuckled quietly enough that she didn't notice him, and he grabbed his camera from the bookshelf in his living room. He snapped a photo of Peyton with her head thrown back singing, and Emma laughing in her arms. The flash called their attention to him.

"Lucas!" Peyton shouted, her face already reddening.

"Nice moves," he laughed.

"Delete that picture right now!" she said, walking towards him. Emma was still cooing in her arms.

"No way! You look great," he said seriously, trying to convince her. "I'm just sorry I missed _Purple Rain_."

"Shut up!" she shouted, slapping him on the arm. "She was crying and dancing made her stop."

He laughed at her again, but secretly, the sight of her dancing with a baby in her arms had made him a little weak in the knees. It looked natural to see her holding Emma. He knew she had experience with babies - Jenny, Lily, and Jamie - but he saw her differently this time. She was more maternal. She wasn't just a babysitter.

He walked over to where she was finishing filling Emma's bottle. He stood behind her and placed a hand on her hip and a kiss on her temple. He hadn't realized what he was doing until after he'd done it.

"I'm sorry," he said, holding up the camera and trying to redeem himself by implying that the gesture was part of his apology for taking the photo.

"It's OK," she said, still blushing, but now from the kiss she could still feel on her skin. She waited until her face stopped feeling hot, and turned around to face him again. "How was your day?"

"Ahh it was alright," he said nonchalantly, taking Emma from her and reaching for the bottle Peyton was holding. He lay the girl in his arms and began feeding her while walking into the living room. He sat on the couch and Peyton leaned on the door frame and watched him.

She grabbed the camera from where he'd placed it on the table and took a photo.

"Hey!" he protested.

"Not anywhere near as embarrassing as the one you took of me," she said with a raised eyebrow.

He laughed and motioned for her to sit next to him. She took a seat and ran her hand over Emma's fine blonde hair. They sat like that for a few minutes in silence, together on the sofa.

"She's gonna fall asleep any second," Lucas mused, watching the little girl's eyes flutter open and closed slowly.

"Here," Peyton said, reaching for Emma. "I'll go put her down."

Lucas smiled again as he watched Peyton walk towards her room, where the baby was going to be sleeping while staying with them. He was still shocked at how maternal she was being. He knew she'd always wanted to be a mom, but her husband hadn't wanted kids. He asked her once why she'd marry someone who didn't want children when she did, and she had simply replied that she loved him.

Lucas grabbed his book and started reading, waiting for Peyton to come back and join them so they could idly chat like they'd done almost every evening since she'd been back. He must have lost track of time, because when he looked up at the clock, almost an hour had passed since she'd retreated into the bedroom with Emma.

He stood and walked to the doorway, only to see the two of them sleeping on the bed, with Peyton holding Emma close to her side. His heart swelled and he placed a hand on his chest. The front door opened and he turned his head to see who it was. Nathan was walking towards him with a puzzled expression on his face. Lucas held his finger up to his mouth and looked back to the room. His brother joined him and chuckled softly at the sight, then looked back at Lucas and shook his head.

The two of them made their way outside to the front porch and sat on the steps.

"What's up?" Lucas asked.

"Don't _'what's up'_ me, Luke. You two are looking pretty cozy," Nathan said with a smirk.

Lucas rolled his eyes. He should have expected it. All their friends knew that there was nothing going on between he and Peyton, and there hadn't been in almost 10 years, yet they still always faced questions about their relationship.

"I just wanted to come over and check to see how things are going," Nathan said.

"Brooke sent you, didn't she?" Lucas asked with a laugh.

"Yeah, she did," Nathan chuckled. "She didn't want to bombard you guys with calls, so she asked me to check in."

"Typical Brooke," Lucas said, shaking his head.

"Obviously things are OK, though," Nathan said, gesturing towards the house with his hand.

"Things are fine. I was out all day, but Peyton has things under control," Lucas explained.

"She's good with kids, huh?" Nathan asked, smiling at his brother.

"Yeah, she's great," Lucas smirked, remembering what he'd come home to earlier. He felt his brother's gaze and knew he had to elaborate. "Kids love her."

"Do you?" Nathan asked, his tone serious. He looked at his hands and spun his wedding band with his right thumb and index finger.

"What?" Lucas asked, shock evident in his voice.

"Hey, I'm just asking," Nathan said in defense of his question. "You and Kate broke up, then you went to see Peyton and when you came back you were...I dunno, man. Just seems like you and her are different."

"Different how?" Lucas asked incredulously.

"Like, calmer or something. She should be a disaster, Luke. She just got divorced. And yet, when she's around you, she's fine," Nathan explained.

"She's not fine, Nathan. She's having a really rough time. But you know her. She doesn't show anyone that."

"She shows you that," Nathan pointed out, smirking.

"It's not like that," Lucas argued.

"Alright. Just be careful," Nathan warned.

"Careful with what?"

"Your heart. And hers." Nathan stood and began walking back towards his SUV. "And try not to watch her sleep any more," he laughed.

Lucas sat for a while on the front steps of his house, thinking about his brother's words. Of course he loved Peyton, but it was strictly platonic. She was one of his oldest and closest friends. They'd lived through a lot together. Yes, their relationship was a little bit different than the rest of their friendships, but that didn't mean that there was anything more going on.

But that didn't stop him from loving having her there.


	8. Chapter 8

Monday morning, Lucas woke up and stumbled sleepily to the kitchen where he found Peyton already dressed and feeding Emma. It was a rare occasion that Peyton was up and mobile before 8:00. Especially since he'd heard Emma crying at midnight, then again around 4:30. The second time, he heard her singing to the little girl. The lullaby had put him back to sleep too.

"Morning," she said with a smirk, eyeing his tired appearance. His hair was shooting off in every imaginable direction and his clothes were wrinkled. There was a crease on his cheek from his pillow.

"Morning," he grumbled. He poured himself a cup of coffee and slumped into the chair next to her at the table.

"Someone's tired this morning," she said, spooning another bite of food into Emma's mouth.

"I'll be alright," he said, rubbing his right eye with his hand. "You didn't get much sleep last night, did you?"

"I'm fine. Somehow soothing a baby, it didn't seem like I was losing sleep," she explained with a quiet smile.

She'd longed for this life for so long. She'd wanted a child for as long as she could remember. Ever since her mother had died, she'd vowed to be a mom. She wanted a daughter who she could pass along her wisdom to, and carry on the traditions she'd had with her own mother. She wanted to take her daughter to the beach every Friday after school when the weather was nice and pick up every piece of sea glass they could find. She wanted to bake cookies and build forts and read stories to her kids. Now that dream seemed further away than ever.

"What do you think, Emma?" she said, looking at the little girl. "Doesn't uncle Luke look goofy?"

As if on cue, Emma began giggling and kicking her feet, eliciting a laugh from Peyton.

"Sure," Lucas said with a grin, standing from his place. "Gang up on me." He pressed a kiss to the crown of Emma's head and turned to Peyton. "I'm going to shower. We should do something today, though."

"Sure," Peyton said, looking up from the jar of baby food in her hands to meet his eyes. "You can think about it while you fix that hair," she teased.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm on it," he called to her on his way to the bathroom to shower.

Peyton finished feeding Emma and changed her into one of the outfits Brooke had demanded she wear if they went anywhere. She was packing 'supplies' into a bag when Lucas emerged from his room fully clothed and ready to go.

"Better?" he asked, leaning on the door frame to her room. She turned to face him and noticed his navy blue polo shirt and jeans, and clean white shoes. He hadn't shaved, but his hair had been styled and tamed considerably.

"It's an improvement," she chuckled. "So what's your plan?"

She picked up Emma and slung the bag over her shoulder and began walking towards him. He moved so she could exit the room, and followed behind her, trying to will himself not to notice how her jeans were slung low on her hips.

"Why don't we just walk along the Riverwalk?" he suggested. "Maybe get some lunch or something."

"That sounds perfect," she said with a smile. She'd been wanting to spend another lazy day with him since the last one they'd shared. "Grab the camera." He shot her a puzzled look. "You never know!"

He laughed and followed her out of the house to Brooke's SUV. She loaded Emma into her car seat and hopped in the passenger side. They drove through town with Lucas' arm resting on the centre console and leaning towards her. Emma was cooing in the back seat while Peyton and Lucas chatted about nothing in particular. Peyton couldn't help but feel like this was the most comfortable she'd felt in years. Joshua slipped into her memory for a moment, and she remembered the weekend road trips they'd take to go see unsigned bands. But even this felt better than those trips. Maybe it was home. Maybe it was the happy baby sitting behind her. Maybe it was Lucas.

He parked the vehicle on the side of the street and walked to the back to pull out the stoller while Peyton got Emma out of her car seat. She tucked the diaper bag into its place on the stroller and sat Emma in her seat. Lucas began pushing the stroller towards the Riverwalk and Peyton walked alongside him.

"So listen, will you judge me if I have a third cup of coffee?" she asked quickly.

He laughed and shook his head. "You know, you could have woken me up to help you."

"No!" she insisted. "It's really no problem."

"Yeah," he said softly. "I just feel like you're doing all the work."

She stopped walking and looked over at him. "You know, sometimes you're too nice."

"Is that a bad thing?" he asked with a laugh.

"Not at all," she said. She threw her arm around his shoulder as they approached the coffee shop.

"Lucas Scott!" a voice rang out. They both turned around to see one of their old teachers from their days at Tree Hill. "And Peyton Sawyer."

"Hi, Mr. Chambers," Lucas said with a smile. He hadn't seen the man in years. His first year coaching at Tree Hill, Mr. Chambers had retired at the end of the first semester.

"Please, it's just Bill now," he said, shaking Lucas' hand. He looked to Peyton who was smiling, and shook her hand as well. "I always knew you two would end up together."

Lucas and Peyton looked at each other with wide eyes and then towards the stroller, and Peyton chuckled at how they must look to outsiders.

"Actually, we're not," Lucas clarified with a nervous laugh. "We're just baby sitting Brooke Davis' daughter."

"Brooke Davis! Wow. You know in a small town, you'd think I'd run into some of you kids more often," the man said, then let out a hearty chuckle. "Well you two make a good looking couple. I had best be getting back to my wife, but you take care."

"You too," Peyton said as Lucas just stared in the direction of the man as he walked away. She wondered if he hadn't heard them say that they weren't together. His statement made it seem that way.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Peyton spoke again. "That was a little awkward."

They began to walk again, but Lucas' mind was racing. They looked like a family. They looked like a couple with their child. For a fleeting moment, he wished that was true.

"Yeah, awkward," he said absently. "I'll wait here for you."

"You want anything?" she asked, making her way towards the door.

"I'm good, thanks," he replied.

He needed to stop the thoughts that were flooding his mind. He looked at her as she held the door open for an older couple, watching the sunlight bounce off her blonde hair. He noticed how her v-neck tee shirt rested on her collar bone. These were things he shouldn't be paying attention to. Yet every little detail about her was completely captivating him. But watching her and spending so much time with her for the week since she'd been in town just made him see her in a completely different light. His brother's words still rung in his ear though. She'd just gotten divorced and he had to be careful with both their hearts. His heart couldn't bear to lose their friendship, that much he knew.

They spent the rest of their morning strolling through the town, stopping to take a few photos, before eventually making it back to the car. On the short drive back to the house, Lucas noticed Peyton's eyes get heavy and he offered a sympathetic smile.

"I am going to have to insist that you lay down for a bit," he said, briefly taking his eyes off the road to glance at her.

She looked back at him and smiled weakly, then rolled her eyes. "Alright. If you insist."

He laughed again and as they pulled into his driveway, he told her to go ahead in and that he would bring everything inside.

She made her way to her bedroom and lay down on the bed, almost instantly falling asleep.

When she woke almost an hour later, she walked past Lucas' room on her way to the living room, where she figured they'd be, but noticed him sitting on his bed with Emma on his lap, reading her a story. He noticed Peyton standing in the doorway and shot her a smile. She stood there for a couple minutes, arms crossed on her chest and watched him as he read _Because a Little Bug Went Ka-choo_. He closed the book and laid it next to him on the bed.

"She's pretty tuckered out," he said.

"Tuckered out?" Peyton teased, walking over and sitting on the edge of the bed. He rolled his eyes and shook his head.

Peyton laid back on his bed with her feet still touching the ground, and he had to force himself not to stare. Her arms were above her head and there were a couple of inches of her stomach showing between her white tee shirt and the top of her jeans.

"Still tired?" he asked, rocking Emma lightly in his arms as she drifted to sleep.

"Surprisingly, yes," she said quietly.

"Come on," he said, laying Emma down in the centre of the bed, then laying down himself. He gestured with his hand for her to move into 'her' spot on the other side of the sleeping baby.

She shook her head, but then slid into the empty space. Lucas rolled onto his side so they were face-to-face, and smiled at her. She sighed deeply and closed her eyes. After staring at the two bodies next to him for a few moments, he closed his eyes and let himself drift to sleep.

That's how they were positioned when Haley entered the room nearly an hour later. She stood just inside the door and smiled in the direction of the three sleeping blondes. She noticed Lucas' camera sitting on his desk, so she grabbed it and quickly snapped a picture. This was something she knew Brooke would love evidence of.

Lucas was awoken by the feeling of being stared at, and opened his eyes to realize it was true. He looked at Haley and smiled a sleepy smile and offered a weak wave. He stood from the bed and followed her to the living room.

"Got a picture for you," she said with a barely-contained grin as she sat down on the couch and tucked one leg beneath her.

"Uh...thanks?" he said skeptically, running a hand through his hair.

"Do you realize how adorable that was?" she asked.

"We were tired," he explained with a grin, smoothing out a wrinkle on his shirt and avoiding eye contact.

"I was going to ask how things are going, but it looks like you've got it under control," Haley mused.

"Yeah, Emma's been an angel," he said.

"Great," Haley nodded. "But that's not what I'm talking about."

He groaned and rolled his eyes. "Hales, please. Just...don't."

"What?" she asked innocently. "Tell me what I just walked in on wasn't what you used to dream of before we were friends with them?"

"That was over 10 years ago!" he proclaimed.

"So! I've been with Nathan for 10 years and that love hasn't gone away," she said softly.

"OK, that is a totally different situation, Haley, and you know it. You and Nathan are married," he argued, tilting his head at her and narrowing his eyes. "I don't get it. Nathan's telling me not to do anything, you're pushing us together...There's nothing going on."

"I'm sorry I said anything." She held her hands up defensively. "I just kind of always thought you two would get together. I mean before she got married and stuff." Her tone was quiet and soft, the way it always was when she was serious and sincere.

"There was a time when I thought that too, Hales, but it was a long time ago. Too much has happened," he said, shaking his head.

"Lucas, you have to follow your heart," she said and placed her hand on his, giving it a slight squeeze.

"My heart's saying that I don't want to lose one of my best friends," he admitted softly, looking at his lap. He hadn't realized that it was a subtle admission of some of the things he'd been feeling. His heart was conflicted.

Before Haley could question him about the statement, Peyton emerged from the bedroom with Emma in her arms.

"Hey Haley," she said happily.

"Hey girlie," Haley smiled. "Looks like you've got the mom thing down pat."

"Says the woman who juggles two kids, a husband, and a full time job," Peyton laughed, making Haley roll her eyes and smirk.

"What time is Brooke coming to get her?" Haley asked, and all three of them turned to look at the clock on the wall.

"About an hour," Lucas offered.

"OK, well I'll leave you guys alone with her," Haley said with a smile. "But Nathan and I wanted to invite you guys to dinner tomorrow night, OK?" She got up from the couch and walked towards the door.

"Sure. We'll be there," Peyton said, and sat in the space next to Lucas where Haley had been sitting.

They said their goodbyes and Haley left Lucas and Peyton sitting on his couch together in silence. He was recalling his conversation with Haley, and Peyton was realizing how much she loved to be around friends - to have someone just stop by to chat.

They fed Emma and gathered her things together so she'd be ready when Brooke came to pick her up. The brunette had showed up about two hours later and explained that her plane had been delayed in New York, and how antsy she was to get home. She picked up Emma and held her closely, and it was obvious how much she loved and missed the little girl. She thanked Lucas and Peyton profusely for watching her while she was away.

The two blondes retired to the living room after ordering pizza for dinner. Both were too tired to cook, and joked that they had only watched a child for two days and were exhausted. Lucas had poured them each a glass of wine and they sat waiting for their dinner arrived. Peyton was flipping through the channels, and stopped when she came upon _The Way We Were_.

The two sat watching the movie in relative silence. Every once in a while, one would comment on the situations playing out in front of them. Peyton had never seen the movie, and Lucas had only seen it once, years earlier. They came to the end of the film, and Lucas looked over to see Peyton crying. He'd forgotten that they don't wind up together and live happily ever after in the end.

She noticed him watching her with an empathetic expression. "I'm fine," she stated, before he'd even asked.

"Alright," he said quietly. He didn't believe her. They watched as the credits rolled.

"You think true love exists, Luke?" she asked seriously. "Real, true love."

"I do," he said with a nod.

"Really?" she asked, wiping her face again.

"Yeah," he said, attempting a smile. Seeing her like this was breaking him.

"I don't," she said softly, looking down at her bare left hand.

"Peyton..." he attempted.

"No. I don't. I think people fool themselves."

"What about Haley and Nathan?" he asked gently.

"Maybe they just don't know any better. I mean, I don't doubt that they're in love. But we both know how hard it's been. Maybe people mistake true love for regular love, and they just work harder to keep it," she rambled, finally looking back at him.

"So what's so wrong with that?" he asked with a smirk. "Maybe that's what makes it true love. There's nothing wrong with working hard for love."

"What if you work hard and it's not enough?" she asked, her eyes meeting his.

"Then maybe it wasn't the right person," he said, staring at her intensely. He hoped he hadn't crossed a line, but he wanted her to know how he felt. He'd thought Joshua was right for her. Until he broke her heart.

She said nothing, and just looked back to her hands instead.

"How come I couldn't see it?" she asked after a few moments of silence.

"See what?"

"If he wasn't the right person? How come I couldn't see that?" she repeated. "What if he was right for me but I wasn't right for him and that's the only chance I get?"

"I don't think that's how it works," he offered.

"How do you know?" she asked, another tear threatening to fall. "I liked being married."

"I know you did. You'll get that again, Peyton." She still wouldn't look at him, so he placed his index finger beneath her chin and lifted her face to meet his eyes. "You can't stop believing that."

"It's really hard to," she said softly. Her chin began to quiver again, and she wondered why she could only cry in front of Lucas. She hadn't cried alone, or with Brooke or Haley or Nathan. Just Lucas. "I still want him to come back sometimes."

"That's OK," he insisted.

"No, it's not," she said harshly. She got up and walked into her bedroom and closed the door.

He'd said the wrong thing yet again.

Lucas tidied the living room and kitchen, doing the dishes and cleaning up from the two days they'd both been preoccupied with Emma. It took him about an hour, and the whole time, he'd wondered what Peyton was thinking. What was she doing in there? He could hear light music playing, but that was all. He wondered if she was still beating herself up, or crying, or thinking she wasn't good enough again. All he wanted to do was take her by the shoulders and shake her and make her realize that Joshua was the one that wasn't good enough. No one was good enough for Peyton.

When he was finished cleaning and the kitchen was spotless, he walked to her room and tapped gently on the door. No sound came from the other side, so he risked making her angry and turned the knob, pushing the door open slowly. She was awake, laying on her side and staring at the wall. He walked into the room and sat on the bed next to her. He noticed a gold band on her left hand and his posture fell. She was torturing herself.

"What's this?" he asked delicately, taking her small hand in his.

"I just...wanted to," she said quietly.

"You've gotta stop doing this to yourself," he said, shaking his head sympathetically. She sat up to face him. "I don't want to be the one to have to say this, but it's over Peyton. You've got to let go."

"I don't want to!" she said severely. "You don't understand! No one understands. I was _married_, Luke. You don't know how that feels. To have someone say forever and then take it back!"

There were tears streaming down her cheeks again and he reached out to wipe them with his hand, but she pulled away. He sighed and she laid back down and rolled away so her back was to him.

"I know it's hard, Peyt.," he started, but she interrupted him.

"No, you don't," she said with finality. "Can I just be alone?"

He hung his head and stood from the bed, still looking down at her. His heart was breaking for her, and a little bit for himself. She was still in love with her ex-husband. She wasn't in love with him. Why did he want her to be?

"OK," he agreed, and walked out of the room and pulled the door shut behind him.

He stood in the hallway outside her room for a few minutes with his head tipped back and his hands on his hips. She'd once pointed out that he always did that when he was frustrated. He certainly was now. He had thought he was helping her all along. He thought she'd finally started to get over the failed marriage. What hurt him even more was that he didn't know how to make her better.


	9. Chapter 9

Lucas woke up the next morning and walked past Peyton's closed door on his way to the bathroom. He'd decided, while laying awake the night before, that he'd give her space. He wouldn't push her or try to make her feel better. He'd just let her go through the emotions she needed to go through, and let her come to him if she needed to. It was going to be hard, he knew. Since he'd known her, she'd been his weakness. He'd wanted to help her through everything she'd faced from the time they were 17. She'd usually let him.

He finished his shower, got dressed, and made and eaten breakfast, and she still hadn't come out of her room. He looked at the clock and noticed it was 9:30. He sighed deeply, then grabbed his basketball and made his way towards the River Court. He needed to be alone with his thoughts, and away from her. If he was in the same house as her, he knew his plan to let her be would go out the window. So he stayed and leisurely shot around for about an hour and a half before deciding to make his way back home.

She was still in her room with the door closed.

He knew what he needed to do. She needed her best friend. He grabbed his keys and started driving towards Brooke's house, knowing she'd be home. He didn't know if Brooke would be able to get through to Peyton, but he knew she'd try.

She swung the door open after he'd knocked and was a little surprised to see him standing there.

"Luke. Hi," she said, moving aside to let him walk into the house.

"Hey Brooke."

"What's up?" she asked.

"I need your help," he said quietly, noticing the slumbering baby in the playpen in the corner of the room.

"With Peyton," she stated, smirking.

"How'd you know?" he asked, narrowing his eyes in confusion.

"Please. It's written all over your face," she said, kinking an eyebrow.

"What is?"

"Your 'I'm worried about Peyton' look," she pointed out with a chuckle. "I've seen that look a lot in 10 years, Luke." He shook his head. "What's going on?"

"She's completely shut down. She's in her room and hasn't come out since last night and when I saw her last, she was wearing her wedding ring," he explained.

"Dammit," Brooke said, grabbing her purse and keys off the table next to the door. "You stay with Emma. I'll be back later."

"Brooke!" he called out as she opened the door.

"I'll take care of it," she said, turning to meet his worried eyes with her own before closing the door behind her.

He sighed again as he stood in the middle of his friend's living room, hoping that Brooke would be able to get through to Peyton, and that the blonde wouldn't be upset with him for telling her best friend she needed help.

----

Brooke stalked into Lucas' house and marched straight to the door she knew Peyton was behind. She didn't knock. She didn't walk in gently with any soft words or concerned greetings. She pushed the door open hard and her heels clacked on the hardwood as she made her way to the window, pulling back the curtains harshly. Peyton watched with confused eyes as Brooke yanked back the sheets and crossed her arms on her chest, waiting for any sort of reaction or movement from her friend. There was nothing.

"Get up!" she shouted. Nothing. "Peyton Sawyer. Get your scrawny ass out of this bed right now!"

"Why?" Peyton said in a small voice, her intensity clearly not matching that of her friend's.

"Because you and I haven't spent any time together alone since you got back," Brooke said, kinking her eyebrow in that trademark Brooke Davis way.

"So what are we going to do?" Peyton asked, feigning interest. She loved her best friend dearly, but she also loved being left alone to wallow in the dark room. At least Lucas had known enough to leave her be. Then it clicked. He hadn't. "Lucas sent you, didn't he?"

"Lucas just gave me a baby sitter so I could get away for a few hours and spend some time with my best friend," Brooke said, her voice finally turning sweet instead of angry. She sat on the edge of the bed. "And you are going to shower, then we're going to the beach." She grabbed Peyton's left and and looked pointedly at the ring it held. "Then you are going to let go."

"Brooke..."

"No arguments. Get up and shower. I am not going anywhere with you looking like this, and before you give me any P. Sawyer sarcasm, _no_, that doesn't mean that you can stay here. Move it."

Peyton groaned and rolled onto her side to get out of the bed for the first time in over 12 hours. She walked to the bathroom and had a short shower. Brooke made the bed and chose a pair of denim shorts and a tank top for Peyton to change into when she returned.

25 minutes later, they were driving towards the ocean, salty summer breeze blowing through the open windows of Brooke's SUV. They pulled into the secluded parking lot where they always used to park as teenagers, and walked towards the beach, stopping for fresh lemonade before they slipped off their sandals and let their toes sink into the sand.

"So you want to tell me why you're wearing the ring?" Brooke finally asked.

"I just wanted to," Peyton said vaguely.

"Don't do that," Brooke insisted. "Don't be all mysterious. Tell me the real reason, Peyton."

Peyton knew she had to be honest with her friend. And herself. She took a deep breath of fresh ocean air.

"I just miss it, Brooke. Being married," she admitted. "I didn't think I'd be this attached to it, but it was so good to have that stability, you know? Knowing that someone was going to be there for you every day, and being able to take care of someone like that."

Brooke offered a sympathetic smile. "Peyton, you still have that." The blonde turned to her friend with a confused look on her face. "You have us. All of us. And I know that's not the same, but it's something. You aren't alone in this."

"I know. But it's really hard, Brooke," Peyton said, her voice breaking. "It's hard to be without him and not know where he is or how he's doing."

"Do you think he wonders that about you?" Brooke asked tentatively. Peyton was shocked at the question and took a moment to think about it.

"I don't know," she admitted quietly. "I want to say yes, but I doubt it. If he cared that much, he'd still be my husband, right?"

"Peyton, I don't want this to come out the wrong way, but I want to give you some perspective, OK?" Peyton nodded for Brooke to continue. They stopped walking and turned to face each other as Brooke spoke. "You were in love with someone for almost 5 years. He loved you back, and you had great times and great memories, and that's...great. But it's over. That's life, Peyton. And it sucks sometimes, and it's hard, and it hurts. But that doesn't mean that you have to live with that hurt forever. You can fall in love again and let yourself be happy. But you have to let go of the idea that Joshua and that marriage were the be all and end all. You are young, and you're gorgeous and successful. You've gotta pick yourself up and dust yourself off, and stop looking back on what you used to have."

Peyton wanted to cry. There was a lump in her throat, but the tears wouldn't come. Instead she smiled and pulled Brooke into her arms. She'd just heard exactly what she didn't know she'd needed to hear.

"Thank you," she said softly and smiled at her friend. Brooke flashed her dimples and was happy that she'd said the right words.

"Now, take off the ring," Brooke demanded.

"What?" Peyton asked, furrowing her brow and watching as Brooke skipped off towards the surf.

"Take off the ring!" she shouted.

Peyton followed her friend and the two stood with the tide nipping at their toes. She slid the ring off her finger and held it between her right thumb and index finger. Brooke put her arm around her friend and rubbed her arm comfortingly as the blonde took one last look at the gold band. It was supposed to be a symbol of Joshua's commitment to her, and their relationship. A promise to be with her forever and take care of her. Now it was a symbol of her own strength. She needed to let go of the ring and who she'd been when she'd worn it.

She took a deep breath and looked at Brooke and offered a slight nod. She closed her eyes and turned back to the ocean, raised her arm, and threw the ring as hard as she could into the water.

----

Brooke and Peyton drove back to Brooke's house, and Peyton felt lighter somehow. She felt like she'd said her goodbye and finally felt like she was moving on. Joshua was a part of her past that she could not erase, but she could learn from the experience. Brooke's words still echoed in her mind, but she took from them a lot more than the way Brooke had meant them. The words reassured her that she wasn't alone in this. She had her friends - they were her family - and they understood, even when she didn't think they did.

They entered Brooke's house to find Lucas sitting on the couch reading an issue of Cosmo, and Emma sleeping soundly in her playpen. He didn't even try to hide the magazine.

"What are you doing?" Brooke asked with a smirk.

"Learning 142 new ways to drive a man crazy," he said in mock interest. "It's funny what women think men like."

"You realize you're talking to two of your ex-girlfriends, right?" Brooke asked with a kinked brow.

"Yeah, yeah," he said, dropping the magazine on the coffee table and standing from the couch. "You ready to go?" he asked Peyton.

"Sure." It was the first word she'd spoken since they'd arrived. She turned to Brooke. "Thank you," she said softly. The two women hugged and Brooke threw Lucas a wink over Peyton's shoulder.

They said their goodbyes and the two blondes walked out of the house towards his Mustang. He opened the door for her and tried not to stare at her legs as she tucked them into the car. Neither of them had said a word yet. She was embarrassed about how she'd acted and wanted to apologize, but felt that apologizing would only embarrass her more.

"You want to go to the beach?" he asked after turning out of Brooke's driveway. The silence was killing him.

She started laughing, and he had no clue why.

"What?" he asked, a smile breaking on his lips at the sight and sound of the woman laughing next to him.

"Brooke and I went to the beach," she said, trying to calm herself.

"Why's that funny?" he inquired.

"I kind of...um...tossed my wedding ring into the Atlantic," she said, trying to hold back a smile.

"Wow." He could only manage one syllable. He was happy that she'd done it. He was even happier that _she_ was happy that she'd done it.

"Luke, I'm sorry about how I acted last night and this morning. You've been amazing to me and you didn't deserve that," she said, turning to face him. She was worried that he thought less of her. He'd told her repeatedly how strong she was being, and then she acted like a child and basically threw a tantrum.

"You don't have to apologize."

"I do, Luke. Maybe you don't need to hear it, but I need to say it, OK?" she smiled at him. He was too good to her.

He looked away from the road for a moment to give her a nod.

"Let's go to our place, get bathing suits, and go to the beach," she said.

"Our place?" he asked with a smirk.

Had she said 'our place'? Why did she say that? Why would she? Sure, she was staying there, but it was his house, not theirs. She felt her face go red as he looked over at her.

"Sorry," she said meekly.

He just laughed and they drove the rest of the way in silence. Lucas couldn't wipe the smile from his face as they drove.

When they got to the house, they each went to their rooms and changed into their suits. She emerged wearing the same shorts and red top, but he could see her black bikini top tied at the back of her neck. He was in board shorts and a black wife beater, standing in the kitchen putting a couple cans of beer into a backpack with their towels.

"What's that for?" she asked.

"You can't go to the beach without beer," he said, as though he thought it was a fact she'd already know.

"You sound like Nathan," she laughed.

He threw an arm around her shoulder and they walked back to his car.

---

When they got to the beach, she laid out her towel and pulled off her tank top and shorts. Lucas was glad he was standing behind her so she wouldn't notice his staring as she stripped down. She grabbed her iPod out of her bag before laying down. She tilted her head back and noticed him there, with his shirt off and his hands on his hips. He was staring down at her, and she could tell, even through his aviators.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing!" he said, perhaps too quickly. "I'm going in."

He dropped his sunglasses next to her on her towel and took off running towards the water. She propped herself up on her elbows and watched him. The sun bounced off his skin and the muscles of his back rippled as his torso moved. She watched until as he was knee-deep in water, and then he dove beneath a wave. For the first time since she was a teenager, she acknowledged that he was gorgeous. She had always known he was attractive, but this feeling was different. _She _was attracted. The realization terrified her.

Lucas hadn't necessarily wanted to swim, but he needed to get away from her. It was a horrible thing to think, but he couldn't just lay next to her on the sand knowing she looked as beautiful as she did. It would have been torture.

It was official. He had feelings for her. Again.

After about 10 minutes, Lucas walked back up the beach towards her, skin glistening.

"How's the water?" she asked, as he stood over her. She shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand.

"Not bad. Here," he said, then ran a hand over his hair and knelt down, spraying her with the water that had been dripping from his head.

"Lucas!" she squealed, trying to cover herself. "This is a 200 dollar bathing suit! It's not supposed to get wet!" she joked.

He halted his actions and looked down at her. "You spent 200 dollars on a bathing suit?"

"Yeah," she said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Why?" he asked, laughing at her. His eyes traveled over her body once again, making note of the minimal black fabric covering her.

"Because it gets me _that_ reaction," she teased. His face went red and he shook his head, knowing he'd been caught.

He swooped down and picked her up before she could argue or fight back. He threw her over his shoulder and she started giggling and squealing again, drawing stares and laughs from the other people on the beach.

"Lucas! Put me down right now!" she yelled as he ran towards the water. "Don't you dare!"

He waded into the water until it hit his thighs, and then, without warning, brought her down into his arms, bridal style. Their eyes met and he offered a smile. She thought he was going to set her onto her feet, so she smiled back. Time seemed to stand still for him, with her in his arms and her gaze locked on his. Only he knew what was coming next...

He tossed her into the water and started laughing hysterically.

He stood with his hands on his hips as he watched her come up for air and push her hair back out of her eyes.

"I _so_ hate you right now," she said as she waded back towards him. The angry look she was trying to give him was hindered the the smile he saw her trying to hold back.

"What?" he asked innocently, holding up his hands.

"You are going to pay for that," she threatened. She held her arms out and pushed him backwards as hard as she could, making him fall back into the water. At the last second, he grabbed her arm and pulled her with him, starting an all out water fight.

She couldn't remember the last time she had that much fun. Pure fun. There was no heavy issue hanging over her, or lingering sadness. She realized that the last time she felt anything even close to that kind of fun was when Lucas had visited her in Chicago for the weekend. But here, at the beach on a beautiful day, splashing around like a kid again, she felt completely content, and the smile on her face was finally genuine.

"OK! OK! I surrender!" Lucas shouted, holding up his hands in defeat.

She splashed him once more while a smug grin came to her face and she started walking back to their towels. He followed her and they both sat back down to let the sun dry them off.

"Where's that beer?" she asked, reaching for his bag.

She turned her back to him and his mind wandered to how easy it would be to tug on the string at the back of her top; how that was the only thing keeping her suit in place. What was it about Peyton that suddenly made him into a teenaged boy? She tossed a can to him and he opened it and watched her take a sip of hers. His forearms were resting on his knees and the sun was warm on his back.

"We should probably head over to Nathan and Haley's soon, right?" she asked, her eyes fixed on the ocean in front of them.

"Oh. Yeah," he said absently. He could have stayed with her on that beach for the rest of the evening.

She leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder, surprising him. He looked down at her as the water dripped from her hair down onto his arm and back.

"What's this?" he asked softly, not wanting to ruin the moment. Her skin felt nice against his and he knew he'd miss it if she moved.

She wasn't sure why she'd done it. She just wanted to. The tanned skin of his shoulder just looked inviting to her as they sat there next to each other. She had thought about her day and the roller coaster of emotions she'd gone through, and how he was to thank for all of them. If he hadn't recruited Brooke's help, knowing she needed it, she'd still be laying in bed, wallowing in self-pity and torturing herself with the past. She didn't know how to put that into words.

"Nothing," she said quietly. She felt him let out a breathy chuckle and he took another sip of his beer.

It had been a good day.


	10. Chapter 10

Lucas and Peyton drove straight from the beach to Nathan and Haley's house, and Peyton had insisted they stop to get Haley flowers along the way. Lucas had made a comment about Haley not needing them, and Peyton told him that it was never a bad thing to get flowers. Ever.

When they got to the door, he handed the bouquet to Haley.

"Lucas! That's so sweet. Thank you," she said, the evidence of her joy written in her smile.

"You're welcome. I just thought you might like them," he said with a smirk.

"Luke!" Peyton shouted, slapping him on the chest. "I bought those!" she explained to Nathan and Haley. They all laughed and Lucas just shrugged his shoulders when Peyton accused him of trying to steal all the credit.

They all made small talk for a while before Nathan, Lucas, and Jamie went outside to put steaks on the grill. Peyton and Haley stayed in the kitchen and chatted while finishing up with salads and other sides. Haley was putting together quite a feast. Peyton sat at the counter on a stool with Matthew on her lap. The two women talked and laughed and Peyton doted on the baby in her arms.

Nathan caught Lucas looking in at her and shook his head. Lucas just rolled his eyes. He was about to tell his brother not to make any comments, when a voice stopped him.

"Uncle Luke, did you know that aunt Peyton used to be my dad's girlfriend?" Jamie said, causing Nathan to almost spit out the sip of beer he'd just taken.

"Where did you hear that?" he asked his son.

"Peyton told me," Jamie said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"She did, did she?" Nathan asked, looking to Lucas, who was laughing.

"Yup. It's kind of weird," Jamie said nonchalantly.

"Why's that weird?" Nathan asked.

"I dunno. I just always thought that you only ever loved mom," he explained.

Lucas shot Nathan a look as though to say,_ 'I'm so glad I'm not you right now.'_

Nathan looked down at his son. "Well, I did only ever love your mom. Aunt Peyton and I just used to hang out, but we weren't in love," he explained delicately.

"OK," Jamie said, before running back into the house, satisfied with the answer he'd been given.

As soon as the door was closed behind him, Lucas started laughing.

"Good cover," he directed at his brother.

"Jeez. Of all the questions that kid asks, he had to ask _me_ that one," Nathan chuckled.

"Yeah, he asked Peyton why she and I never dated," Lucas said. Immediately, he regretted it. He knew before he even saw the smirk on Nathan's face, that he was about to face some more questions.

"I've been trying to figure that out for years," Nathan admitted with a raised brow.

"Stop it," Lucas warned.

His eyes traveled back to the kitchen where Peyton was talking to Jamie while bouncing Matthew on his knee. Whatever she said made Haley laugh, and he couldn't stop the smile that formed on his lips. He glared at Nathan when he heard the laugh escape his brother's lips.

The six of them enjoyed their dinner on the back patio beneath an umbrella. Peyton watched Lucas as he and Nathan talked about one of their players who was returning in the fall, and Peyton saw a side of him she'd never seen before. Coach Scott. Sure, she'd seen him call plays from the sidelines, but this was different. He was talking about how to make the student play less selfishly, and treat his teammates better. He was saying how he wanted to help the player off the court as well - how he hoped his influence would translate into the boy's schoolwork. She smiled as he spoke, and when Nathan noticed, she looked away.

After dinner, Nathan was ordered by Haley to clear all their plates and do the dishes, but Peyton insisted on helping after Haley went to all the trouble to cook and host them. It hadn't taken the two of them long to tidy up - Nathan and Peyton used to perform the tasks when she'd stay for dinner at his house when they were teenagers. It was even quicker now because they didn't stop to kiss after every plate he dried like they used to.

"So how are you feeling?" Nathan asked. He walked to stand beside her at the back window. "We haven't really gotten a chance to talk yet."

"I'm actually feeling really good," she said, smiling out at Lucas and Haley as they sipped iced tea and laughed at the kids. "You guys have all been great."

She wrapped her arm around his waist and felt him staring down at her.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing!" he exclaimed defensively. "Just...we have been great, or he's been great?" He gestured towards Lucas with the glass he was holding in his hand.

"Both," she admitted with a smile. "I'm lucky to have you." Her gaze hadn't left his brother's and Nathan hadn't failed to notice.

"You know he worries about you a lot," he said. She pulled away from him and turned to look at him. "Like, more than a normal amount."

"Nathan..."

"He worries about you like I worry about Haley," Nathan said with a smirk.

"Oh my God," she said, frustration in her tone. "Don't."

"What?" he asked innocently.

"Nathan!" she said forcefully. "I don't know how many times we have to tell people, but Lucas and I are just friends, OK?"

"Whatever you say, Sawyer," he said, throwing a wink her way. She rolled her eyes and sighed deeply.

"Just because we are close, doesn't mean there is anything else going on. You, of all people, should know that," she said softly.

He didn't know how to say what he wanted to say without _really_ pissing her off. But then, he thought, he used to piss her off all the time without even intending to. Even so, he tried to choose his words carefully. He thought back on his earlier conversation with his son.

"Peyton, who was the first guy you were ever in love with?" he asked. "And don't say that it was me, because I know that's not true."

"Nate..."

"Who was it?" he repeated. She said nothing, and looked to the floor instead of at him. "That's what I thought. Now, how many people do you know who are still that close with their first love?"

"Um," she chuckled. "You, Haley, Brooke..."

"Haley and I are married. That's totally different," he said with a smile. "And Brooke was never in love with Lucas like you were."

"What are you trying to say, Nathan?" she asked, aggravated that he was taking so long getting to his point.

"I'm just saying that you and Lucas are great friends, but can you honestly say that you don't realize that it could be more?" he asked. She took a breath and was about to speak, but he stopped her. "I know you're still getting over what's-his-name, but just...You and Luke are like....you're weird!"

"Weird how?" she asked. "And also, his name was Joshua."

Nathan hadn't ever really warmed up to Joshua. They had little in common, and Nathan would joke that he just couldn't be friends with someone who didn't like basketball. The reality was, he just didn't think that Joshua was the one for Peyton. He was a good enough guy in Nathan's eyes, but he wasn't at all the type he'd pictured for her. He bit his tongue on the topic, because he could see, in the beginning anyway, that Joshua made Peyton happy. Inwardly, however, he was still skeptical. Maybe it was because he'd always held out hope that some day she and Lucas would realize they were supposed to be together. He'd never voiced that to anyone; not even his wife.

"You and Luke have this really creepy like, unspoken connection where you can just look at each other and know what the other is thinking," he said with a laugh. "It's not normal."

"That doesn't mean we should get together," she pointed out.

"It also doesn't mean that you shouldn't," he said, bumping her shoulder with his.

She just sighed and offered him a weak smile. Maybe he was right...

----

Peyton and Lucas stayed until after both kids had been put to bed, so the adults could have some serious conversations without having to edit details. Peyton told them about the beach earlier, and what Brooke had made her do. She kept the words her best friend had spoken private, as she thought that was a moment between her and Brooke that wasn't meant for anyone else to hear. Nathan's eyes went wide when she told them she'd thrown her ring into the ocean, and Haley dropped her hand on Peyton's thigh and offered a reassuring squeeze. They all acknowledged that she had finally let go.

They got back to Lucas' house at about midnight. They'd each dropped their things and Peyton made a remark about how it had been a long day.

"I'm proud of you," he said with a smile as she walked to stand in front of him in the hallway.

"I'm proud of me too."

He chuckled and smiled at her again, and said goodnight, pivoting to go into his bedroom.

"Hey," she called out, and reached for his hand. "Come here."

He turned and took a step back towards her, and she wrapped her arms around him.

She wanted to say 'I love you'. But now the words seemed too intense. Normally, they'd throw the phrase around in moments like these, but with the way she was feeling, she couldn't say the words. They had said it to each other casually before bed since she'd been staying with him. They were true. She loved him. There was something different about that day. Something shifted inside her and she felt like she was open to the possibility of falling in love again. And she couldn't say 'I love you' to Lucas without it feeling heavier than she intended, especially after her conversation with Nathan, and the way he'd explained things from his perspective.

So, she muttered 'thank you' for the thousandth time since she'd been in Tree Hill, smiled at him, and disappeared into her bedroom.

Then she realized - he hadn't said it either. He hadn't said 'I love you.'

He made his way to his room and stood for a few moments in the silence. He missed the three words she hadn't spoken. His mind was overrun with questions. Why hadn't she said them? He began replaying the day in his head. He wasn't trying see where he might have gone wrong. He just wanted to remember her. Her laugh as they played in the water. Her blonde hair dripping water onto his skin as she rested on his shoulder. Her attention to Matthew as the little boy sat on her lap. Her body pressed against his when she hugged him...

He was lost in thought until he heard her door open. He turned around to see her walking towards him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him towards her, searching his eyes for the green light to continue what she wanted to do. She saw a sparkle of hope along with the confusion. She leaned up and captured his lips with hers.

After the initial shock wore off, his hands found their way to her face before getting tangled in her hair. Her kiss was soft and gentle and tentative, and when she pulled away, she wouldn't look him in the eye. He leaned his head down while lifting hers so their eyes met, and he smiled. That smile made her stomach flutter. Her bold and brazen move hadn't been a mistake. She smiled back, and he kissed her passionately, gently nibbling her bottom lip before parting her lips with his tongue.

They stood like that for what seemed like forever. Just kissing. Their hands did not roam, nor did their mouths. They had kissed before - years and years ago - but those times had been different. They had been frantic and hurried; stolen moments in hotel rooms or hallways. This was just them. No distractions or other people to think about. It was just the two of them, kissing because they wanted to.

They parted after a few moments and she looked into his eyes, trying to hide her embarrassment, though she knew it was futile. She'd just kissed her best friend of 10 years. And he'd kissed her back. He went to speak, but she pressed her fingers to his lips.

"Don't," she demanded softly. "Goodnight, Luke."

She smiled again, traced her fingertips down the side of his neck so delicately that it made his spine tingle, and left his room.

It was all he could do not to run after her and finish what she'd started. She had just kissed him. He looked around his room quickly, as if searching for a witness who could confirm that it had actually happened. But she had been right - it had been a long day. One that saw her acknowledge for the first time that her three-year marriage was truly over. He couldn't get involved with her right now, no matter how much he wanted to. God, he wanted to.

Instead, he lay down on his bed and thought about her like he used to as a teenager. He wondered if she was thinking of him.

She was.

She lay awake for as long as her tired eyes would allow. She'd just kissed Lucas. Her best friend. The one who'd always taken care of her. She wanted to think it had been a silly whim - an emotional girl who was confused and acting on impulse. But every time she thought of his lips on hers, she felt butterflies in her stomach.


	11. Chapter 11

Peyton woke up early, relieved to hear that the rest of the house was quiet. She quickly got dressed and threw a few things in a bag. She had to get out of the house before he woke up. She was embarrassed and nervous about the night before, and she couldn't face him yet.

She grabbed her car keys and tiptoed out of her room and down the hall to the front door. She got into her car and drove away from his house, forcing herself to take deep breaths, and hoping she hadn't ruined everything.

She decided to get lost for a couple hours - literally. She drove down roads that she had no clue where they led. She just wanted to avoid all the places he might go. She needed to clear her head and kill time until she could call Brooke and drop in on her friend to shower and spend the day there. She hoped that Brooke wouldn't pick up on the tension.

Lucas had heard her drive away and could only close his eyes and shake his head. He wanted to say he was surprised, but he wasn't. It was Peyton. Running was her signature move. She'd come back in a couple hours, they'd talk, and then he'd assess the damage.

He'd done something stupid. He shouldn't have let her kiss him. She was confused and he was there. She'd had a rough couple months and he'd been the one to take care of her, and she must have confused that for something else.

But he wanted to kiss her. He wanted to kiss her after she'd left him alone in his room, and he'd wanted to kiss her when he woke up. He forgot what her kisses were like. No one affected him like Peyton.

---

Peyton had taken a quick shower at Brooke's, and entered the kitchen to find Brooke there with a cup of coffee in her hands, and one on the counter for Peyton.

"Thanks," she said, taking a sip of the steaming liquid.

"OK, not that I mind, but how come you're showering here and not at Luke's?" Brooke asked, dying to know what was going on.

"Oh. He was in there when I left." Lie. "And I wanted to come talk to you about something." Subject change.

"What's up?" Brooke asked, leaning forward on the counter.

"Well, I've kind of been looking into starting my own label," she started, and watched her friend's eyes go wide. "So I wanted to talk to the only person I know who's started two successful companies."

"Wow. First of all, that's amazing. Second of all, I will help you any way I can," Brooke offered with a smile. "Where'd you come up with this crazy idea anyway?"

"Luke," Peyton said, looking into her coffee cup. She smiled. He had known what she wanted even before she had.

"Where are you going to do this?" Brooke asked softly, gently prying to see if Peyton was planning on going back to Chicago any time soon.

"I um...I was kind of thinking I'd maybe do it here," she said with a shrug. Brooke's gaping mouth eventually turned into a smile.

The two spent the rest of the day talking about the potential business and their work lives. Brooke had shown Peyton some new sketches and a magazine feature she'd been in. Emma was a welcome addition to the day. It felt great for both of them, reconnecting with each other and talking about something other than the divorce. Peyton realized just how selfish she'd been over the past couple months, and offered an apology. In true best friend fashion, Brooke had said she hadn't been selfish, and that if she ever needed anything at all, Peyton could always turn to her, no matter what.

Around 3:00, Peyton's phone rang. It was Lucas. Brooke noted the look on Peyton's face, but didn't comment.

"Hey," she answered, offering Brooke an apologetic smile.

"Hey. I was just wondering if you're going to be around for dinner," he inquired.

"I um...I don't think so. I'm just spending the day with Brooke, so we'll probably do something together." Brooke looked at Peyton with confusion in her eyes.

"OK, well I'll see you later then," he said. Peyton could tell he was trying to be nonchalant, but that he wanted to see her as badly as she wanted to see him. Well, the part of her that wasn't desperate to avoid him wanted to see him.

"Alright. I'll call if I'm going to be late or something," she offered.

"Sure. Bye, Peyton." He'd hung up before she could respond.

She looked to Brooke who'd raised an eyebrow at her, waiting for the details.

"Looks like I'm buying you dinner," Peyton chuckled.

"Why exactly did that sound like an old school, sexual tension-filled, Tree Hill High, Lucas and Peyton conversation?" Brooke asked.

"It's nothing, Brooke," she insisted.

"Please, Peyton. Is staying at Casa de Lucas bringing back some of those old feelings?" she asked excitedly.

"Oh my God! You and Nathan must have compared notes or something!"

"No. We're just on team Leyton," Brooke smirked. Peyton looked at her like she was insane. "You know. Naley, Leyton..."

"Right," Peyton laughed.

"You are so avoiding the question," Brooke said.

"That's because there's nothing going on," Peyton insisted.

All she'd wanted to do all day was gush about the boy she'd kissed and tell her best friend all the details. It was just all...too messy at the moment. She knew that, of all people, Brooke would understand. But she felt like that teenaged girl again. She felt like a kiss was a huge deal. It had always felt that way with Lucas.

---

The girls had ordered in Chinese for an early dinner and by 6:00, Peyton was on her way back to Lucas' house.

She turned off the engine in the driveway and sat for a moment, collecting her thoughts before making her way to the front door and walking inside. She noticed him sitting on the couch with his feet up on the cushions, reading a book.

"Hey," she said quietly, blush already creeping to her cheeks at the sight of him.

"Hi," he offered back. He didn't raise his head to look at her, she noticed. It convinced her that she'd messed everything up. This was going to be a long night.

She began walking towards her bedroom when his voice stopped her.

"So instead of avoiding me for the rest of the evening, why don't you come sit down and talk to me?" he said, his eyes still fixed on the book in front of him.

She took a deep breath and made her way to the couch. He moved his feet to the floor and she sat down next to him and tucked her legs beneath her.

"I wasn't avoiding you..." He tilted his head and raised his brow, finally looking at her. "OK, maybe a little bit."

"Why?" he asked softly. There was a tinge of pain in his voice that she wanted to erase as soon as she'd heard.

"I'm kind of embarrassed," she admitted, grabbing a pillow that had sat between them and pulling it onto her lap.

"Why are you embarrassed?" he asked with a laugh. Laughing, he realized, may not have been the best move.

"I just...we...we're...we don't kiss, Luke!" she stuttered.

"We certainly did last night," he said, a satisfied smirk breaking on his lips. She tossed the pillow at him and he laughed again.

She wondered how a conversation like this that, for a lot of reasons, should have been so uncomfortable, could still be playful and fun and just..._them_. She didn't know if it was that they were so close, or if maybe he'd wanted to kiss her as much as she'd wanted to kiss him.

"So why'd you ambush me, then?" he teased. She glared at him before she spoke.

"I just...It felt right," she said, looking to her hands again. "You kissed back."

"Yeah, I did." She didn't look up, and he was thankful, because he knew she was going to be hurt by what came next. "Maybe I shouldn't have. You are really vulnerable right now, and I am not going to take advantage of that."

She looked up at him and he couldn't tell what emotion was on her face. That scared him. He'd always been able to read her better than anyone, but he couldn't this time.

"I appreciate you taking care of me, Luke, but I know how I feel, OK?" she said, somewhat defensively. "I understand what you're saying, but I'm a big girl. I can make my own choices." She waited for a moment before continuing. "I don't know why I thought you wanted the same thing."

Her last comment killed him. He felt his heart fall. He wanted it - probably more than she did.

"Peyton, our friendship means everything to me. I just don't want anything to come between us. Ever." He punctuated the last word when he spoke and the corners of her lips curled ever-so-slightly. "I won't be your rebound, because I can't lose you."

"Rebound?" she asked, taken aback. "You think I'd risk a 10 year friendship that's survived all that we've been through for a rebound?"

"Maybe not knowingly," he said. He noticed anger flood her green eyes and knew he'd just said all the wrong things.

"You could give me a little more credit than that, Luke." She stood from the sofa and walked into the kitchen. All he wanted to do was kiss her again and feel her breath against his skin, but he knew better. However, she was adamant that she knew what she was doing.

He heard her phone ring and unabashedly eavesdropped on the call.

When she saw that it was Brooke calling, she spoke perhaps a little louder than she needed to.

"Hey Brooke. Miss me already?" she answered.

"Peyton, I have good news!"

"What's that?" Peyton asked, intrigued.

"I got us a double date for tomorrow night!" Brooke squealed.

"Um...Brooke, I don't know," Peyton protested. All she could think about was the man she'd just left in the other room. Then she remembered all the things he'd just said to her.

"He's some weird artist. You'll love him! He's a friend of Dave's. You know? Dave who I've been trying to work out a date with for weeks?" Brooke practically begged Peyton to accept.

"Well, as your only single friend, I suppose I have to. He's an artist?" she repeated, for no reason other than to make it clear to Lucas that she was going on a date. It was childish and silly, but it gave her a momentary victory.

"Yeah. Come to my place tomorrow. They're picking us up at 7:30," Brooke instructed.

"OK. I'll see you then," Peyton said, then hung up the phone. She turned around to see Lucas standing in the doorway behind her.

"What was that?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said nonchalantly, filling a glass with water.

"You're a terrible liar," he pointed out, crossing his arms on his chest.

"It was Brooke. We're going out tomorrow night," she said.

"What are you doing?" he asked, perturbed.

"I don't know. Dinner I guess," she said, turning to face him just in time to see him roll his eyes and shake his head.

"No. What are you doing going on a date?" he clarified.

"Well, I guess if you're not going to be my rebound, I have to find someone else," she sneered, and walked past him on her way to her room.

"You didn't tell her about us?" he asked. He was surprised. Peyton and Brooke told each other everything.

"No," she said, turning to face him again as she stood just inside the door of her room.

"Why?"

"Because it's none of her business, Luke. And there really is no _us_, is there?" She waited for him to respond, and when he didn't, she closed the door on his face to leave him standing alone in the hallway.

Why couldn't he just tell her that he wanted her? It was scary to him to admit that, but it's what he wanted. All of her. The feelings had come so quickly that they still surprised him. He thought about running into her room and telling her that she couldn't go out with this guy, whoever he was. He wanted to tell her that he wanted her to stay home with him. He wanted her there with him all the time. But he couldn't. He should have known that any relationship with Peyton Sawyer was going to be a complicated one.

He just hoped he still had any relationship with her at all.


	12. Chapter 12

Peyton spent the rest of her evening in her bedroom, angry and hurt and guilty. She was mad at Lucas for the things he'd said and assumed. She was hurt that he hadn't felt what she'd felt when they kissed. She was guilty that she had done something as petty as setting up a date with him standing right next to her. She just read a book and listened to music. Every little noise she heard, she hoped it was him coming to apologize.

Lucas sat in the living room for another couple hours watching a basketball game. He could barely follow the plays, because his mind was full of Peyton. He'd said all the wrong things, but he still felt they were right. He stood firm in his belief that it was a bad idea for them to get involved. So why did he feel so terrible? He'd wanted so badly for it to happen, then when it did, he'd put a stop to it going further. Then he realized that he was the one running this time, not her.

He thought about the conversations he'd had with Nathan and Haley in recent days. Even Skills had asked if there was something going on. He could only hope that something would happen to prove to him that she was ready for a relationship. He couldn't see how she could be. Just a week earlier, she was still in love with her ex-husband. How could she possibly be over that already? He knew one thing for sure; his heart couldn't take losing Peyton again. It had hurt like hell the first time, and he wouldn't do it again. The way their friendship was, she'd just be mad for a few days, then things would just go back to normal. At least he hoped they would.

----

Peyton woke up the next morning and knew that she couldn't avoid him again. The stubborn side of her just wanted to be in the house with him all day, barely speaking, to show how angry she was at him.

She got up and ran herself a quick shower before making a pot of coffee, then starting on eggs, bacon and toast. She was going to torture him with silent kindness. She knew him, and she knew it would drive him crazy.

He walked out of his room after being awoken by the smells coming from the kitchen. When she saw him, she poured him a cup of coffee and set a plate on the table in his usual spot.

"Morning," she offered, turning back to the stove.

He knew what she was doing. He sat at the table and took a sip of coffee.

"Thank you," he said as he began eating. He wasn't sure what she did to the eggs, but they were delicious. He wanted to comment, but she sat down across from him and began eating. She wouldn't make eye contact.

"Plans today?" she asked, spreading raspberry jam on her toast. It was her favourite, and when she'd complained that he didn't have any in the house, he'd bought some specially for her. He smiled when he saw her take a bite.

"I'll probably just write. Maybe go for a run or something, but I have a deadline coming up and my editor will kill me if I don't send her some pages today," he explained. He'd lost, he knew. He knew her response would be one or two words, and he'd just given details. He knew Peyton, and he knew that this was one of her tactics. He let her have the victory.

"Alright," she said. Her response made him laugh at how well he knew her.

"What about you?" he asked, trying to coax her into saying something more. He knew it was futile; she was the most stubborn person he'd ever met.

"Nothing special," she offered, finally looking up at him.

"What about your date?" he baited. He knew it would piss her off, and frankly, he didn't care. He just wanted to break down the wall she'd put up.

She tilted her head and glared at him. They finished the rest of their breakfast in silence, and she walked out of the kitchen, leaving dirty dishes in the sink. He was just about to comment on her leaving the mess, but he figured she was nice enough to cook for him, so he wouldn't complain. He wanted to annoy her, but he didn't want to be a total jerk.

He tidied the kitchen, and she stayed in her room with the door open, blaring The Cure because she knew he hated the music. He stood at the sink smiling and shaking his head. She was playing hardball.

When he was done cleaning, he grabbed his laptop from his room and took it to the kitchen table. He knew the sound of typing drove her completely crazy, so he decided to work as close to her open door as he could. And for good measure, he made sure to press the keys a little harder than he usually would.

When her album had finished, all Peyton could hear was the clacking of his keys, and she could only shake her head. They knew each others' weaknesses, that was for sure. She wracked her brain thinking of her next move, then it dawned on her. She remembered back to a few years ago, when Lucas had mentioned that seeing a girl in a sports jersey was one of the sexiest things he'd ever seen. She didn't have a jersey, but she'd seen something hanging in the closet that would do the trick.

She emerged from her bedroom in just a faded Ravens tee shirt, her tanned legs seeming endless as he watched her walk past him. She noticed him staring.

"It's hot in my room," she said with a smirk she knew he wouldn't see. His eyes were fixed on her lower half.

She filled a glass with water and took a sip as she walked past him and back to her bedroom. Ten minutes later, she was laying on the bed reading and he walked in with a fan, plugging it into the wall and pointing it directly at her.

"There you go," he said. He shot her a wink and left to return to his computer.

But damn, it was hard for him to leave her alone in that room.

Around 2:00, Lucas walked past her door on his way to the washroom, and couldn't stop himself from peering in. It had been silent for a while and she hadn't done anything in retaliation to his fan maneuver. She was curled up on the bed, in his old tee shirt, with her hands tucked under her cheek and her legs bent at the knee. The copy of _Pride and Prejudice_ she'd teased him about just a week earlier was laying on the bed next to her.

Of all the silly things she could have done to torture him, the one she hadn't intended was working the best. He stood for a moment watching her, and wishing he could just lay down next to her and pull her body close to his. But he couldn't.

He returned to the kitchen and grabbed his laptop. It was time to end the game. He was going to retreat to his room as a symbol of his surrender. He closed the door part way and continued to work away, sending new pages to his editor, and talking on the phone with her when she called to thank him.

A few hours later, he was listening to soothing music and still writing, when there was a gentle tap on his door.

"Come in."

She pushed the door open with her free hand, but was holding the front of her black strapless dress to her chest.

"Can you zip me?" she asked timidly, almost as though she wished she didn't have to ask. He sighed and shook his head before standing and walking over to her. She turned around and his had found the zipper at the small of her back.

"There," he said, as his hands pulled the zipper to the top of the garment. He noticed her holding a necklace in her hands, and took it from her. He gathered her hair and swept it to the side gently before reaching around to rest the necklace on her skin and clasping it at the back of her neck. His fingertips gently grazed the nape of her neck and she hoped he hadn't heard her take a quick breath. He had.

"Thanks," she muttered, turning to walk out the door.

"What time are you going to be home?" He knew he had asked in undisguised jealousy, but he needed to know. He wasn't sure why.

"I'm not sure," she replied, still with her back to him.

"Well...be careful," he offered.

Something about that statement made her want to scream. He was acting like a boyfriend one moment, and an overprotective brother the next. She walked out of the room without saying another word.

Each time she thought of his hands on her skin, she felt a tingle run up her spine.

----

The drive to Brooke's place had felt shorter than she wanted it to. She couldn't stop thinking that this date was a bad idea. It wasn't that she wasn't ready to date, it was that she wanted to be at home with Lucas. Even when they weren't speaking, or were playing cruel tricks on each other, she still would rather be with him than out with someone else.

She walked into Brooke's house without knocking, and found the brunette wearing a navy blue halter dress, her hair pinned up loosely, and her makeup flawless.

"You look hot!" Brooke shouted as she saw Peyton.

"Not so bad yourself. You know, for a mom," she teased. "Haley already come get Emma?"

"Yeah, she came about an hour ago. Mama needed time to get ready," she said with a laugh.

Peyton perched on a stool at Brooke's kitchen counter, and immediately the brunette noticed that something was off.

"You OK? I mean, I know this is your first date since Joshua," Brooke asked delicately.

"I'm fine. Just...I didn't think I'd have to do this again, you know?" she said. It was the truth. She thought she was done with dating.

"Well, if you get uncomfortable at all, just like, blink twice and we'll go to the bathroom or something," Brooke offered.

Peyton laughed. "I'll be fine, but thanks."

There was a knock at the door, and they exchanged a look. They both walked to the door and Brooke pulled it open.

"Hi Dave," she rasped, smiling.

"Brooke, you look great," he said. "This is Eric."

The man extended his hand to both women.

"This is Peyton," Brooke offered, then Dave shook the blonde's hand.

"Nice to meet you both," Eric said. He was attractive. His brown hair was short and he wore rimmed glasses that somehow suited him. His eyes were deep chocolate brown and he had a kind smile. She could tell he was as nervous as she was. Blind dates were never fun at first.

They made their way to Dave's car and made small talk as they drove to the restaurant.

Once they were seated and Dave and Brooke had started their own conversation, Peyton decided to make the best of the evening and at least make an effort.

"So Brooke said you're an artist?" Peyton asked, needing an ice breaker. The waiter poured her a glass of wine and she'd never been more thankful to see alcohol in her life.

"Yeah, I'm just here for the week for a gallery opening. They're showcasing some of my work, so I flew down from New York," he explained.

"You live in New York?" she asked. For some reason, she was relieved to know that he didn't live in Tree Hill. It was as if the pressure was off.

"Yeah, I have a studio there. I grew up in Baltimore, but that's not exactly a hot spot of artistic activity," he said with a chuckle. She smiled politely.

"What kind of art do you do? Anything I might know?" she asked.

"I'm actually a painter. I work mostly with oils. Kind of modern, interpretive stuff."

"That's great," she said with a forced smile.

The waiter came to take their orders. Brooke sensed her friend's discomfort, and began a conversation that would include all four of them. She reached under the table and gave Peyton's knee a soft squeeze to show her support.

They made it through the meal and were sipping coffee when Dave mentioned to Eric that Brooke and Peyton had grown up and were friends with Lucas Scott, their favourite modern author. They began talking about his work and his words and their favourite characters from his novels.

Peyton's mind flashed to the image of him sitting at the kitchen table in front of his computer, staring at her as she paraded past him. She would have gladly traded that moment for this one. She looked to Brooke and blinked twice. Brooke's face fell.

"Would you excuse us? We're just going to run to the ladies' room," she requested.

Both men stood as Peyton and Brooke left the table. Once they were behind the door of the washroom, Brooke spoke.

"What's going on, Peyton?"

"Brooke, I can't do this." Her voice was rushed and soft

"What are you talking about?" the brunette asked gently.

Peyton knew she had to explain her sudden freak out to Brooke. She also just needed to tell someone about the recent events that had taken place in Luke's room between the two of them.

"I kissed Luke the other night and I...I can't do this," she said, her eyes meeting her friend's, which were filled with surprise.

"You kissed Luke!? Why didn't you tell me?" Brooke bombarded Peyton with questions, still shocked at the secret she'd just been let it on.

"Because it's all a disaster right now because I'm an idiot and I'm scared." Peyton ran her hands through her hair and closed her eyes, inwardly relieved that she'd finally said the words out loud.

"Sounds familiar," Brooke muttered

"Brooke!"

"Sorry! But it's true!" Brooke pointed out. "Why are you scared?"

"Because I shouldn't even be dating anyone right now, let alone one of my best friends. I just...God, it's Lucas, you know? And he's...Lucas."

"I know, honey," Brooke said comfortingly, somehow decoding that simple statement. It meant what she knew it meant. "But maybe you are just feeling this way for him because he's been there for you."

"No," Peyton said adamantly. "I don't think that's it."

"OK." Brooke would have loved to argue, but something about Peyton's tone suggested that it was more than just mixed emotions or confusion. She knew that Peyton wouldn't risk her friendship with Lucas if she wasn't sure of how she felt. She also knew that Peyton and Lucas were the two last people to ever be clued in to their own feelings.

"I have to go," Peyton said, checking her face in the mirror before turning back towards the door.

"What am I supposed to tell Eric?!" Brooke pleaded, making Peyton turn to face her.

"Tell him I'm sick or something! Please, Brooke." Her voice was desperate and she knew her best friend would sense the urgency.

"Ugh! Fine. But I want all the freaking details tomorrow," she called after her friend as she exited the bathroom, leaving Brooke there, completely confused as to what had happened. She thought back to the day before. A kiss certainly explained why Peyton had hid out at her house, and why she had seemed distracted the entire time, and the tense phone call she'd overheard.

---

Peyton called Nathan for a ride to Brooke's to pick up her car, and he didn't ask any questions. He just assumed that the date had been too much, too soon after the divorce. He asked if she was OK, but that was all. She thanked him for the ride and he offered a polite smile and a hug before she left his car.

She sat behind the wheel of her old car in Brooke's driveway for a few minutes. She was going to go home to Lucas and apologize for all the stupid things she'd done in the past few days. Avoiding him, the date, her silly games earlier that day. She looked at the clock and saw that it was only 9:30.

He heard her pull into the driveway and glanced at the time. It was early. Either his suspicions that it was too soon for her to be dating were true, or it had simply been a short meal.

She walked into the house and saw him sitting on the couch. He turned his head to look at her. He'd forgotten how gorgeous she had looked when she'd left, and felt a pang of jealousy knowing that he hadn't been the one who got to stare at her all night.

"Hi," she said softly. He was surprised that she was the first to speak.

"How was your date?" he asked.

"Fine," she offered. It was a lie, but he didn't know that

"You kiss him, too?" he muttered bitterly, turning back to his book. He wasn't even sure what made him say it. Jealousy or regret or...jealousy.

"Dammit Lucas. You can be a real ass sometimes, you know that?" She stalked over to stand in front of him in the living room. He closed his book and set it down next to him on the sofa.

"Right. Because making a couple comments is way worse than kissing someone and going on a date with someone else two days later!"

"Oh, I am the _last_ person you want to play _that_ game with," she sneered.

"What does that mean?" he asked, irritation in his voice.

"The name Brooke Davis ring a bell?"

"Please, Peyton, that was in high school," he said, the tone of his voice dismissing her comment.

"Yeah, well it still happened. And you started a relationship with her! And do I need to mention Nikki, too?" If he was going to plead ignorance, she was going to pull out all the stops.

He went silent. She was right and he knew it. She knew it too.

"That's what I thought," she said softly. "You know, the reason I'm home right now is because I couldn't stop thinking about _you_ all night. And I would have told you that, but you decided to act like a complete jerk before I could." She paused to take a deep breath that she hoped would calm her. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm not ready for this...whatever this is. So if what you wanted was for me to realize that we are just...not anything? Mission accomplished."

He heard her voice break and he knew how upset she was, but he couldn't go to her. He couldn't bring himself to go and wipe her tears. He had always done it when someone else had caused her to cry, but when it was his fault, he cowered. The irony was not lost on him.

She went into her room and closed the door and waited. She waited for him to rush in and apologize and take her in his arms and tell her had been wrong.

He never came.


	13. Chapter 13

Peyton woke up later than she usually did. She expected to hear some sound coming from the rest of the house. Music or typing or noise from the kitchen, but it was silent. She set her feet on the floor and walked into the kitchen, noticing Lucas' empty bedroom as she passed it.

There was a note on the table with his unmistakable writing.

_Out with Nathan and his boys. Back later this afternoon.__  
- Lucas.  
PS: I'm sorry..._

She smiled at the words. Two simple written words, and she had completely forgiven him. How that was even possible, she wasn't sure. She just knew she needed Lucas in her life in whatever way she could have him. Their friendship had always been enough for her. Maybe it still was? Either way, she was glad he'd realized that he needed to apologize.

She knew there was a serious conversation to be had, and that it probably would leave one or more of them feeling...less than perfect...but she knew that with her and Lucas, things always seemed to iron themselves out. And just for today, she wanted to just go back to normal. The conversation could wait.

She made a pot of coffee and grabbed her computer to check her email. She had a couple from her friends in Chicago, wondering how 'life in the sticks' was. She replied to them, then moved on. She was going to start looking for office space for her label. After talking to Brooke, who'd agreed to loan her the money she'd need if her savings and severance came up short, she'd decided that what she wanted was to start her own company. She'd talked to a friend of hers in Chicago who was a realtor, and she'd listed her condo for sale. It was official. She was coming home.

It should have felt better. She should have been happier. She realized that not being able to share it with Lucas had somehow made it less special. It had all been his idea, and she hadn't yet let him know that she was going forward with it. Or moving back to Tree Hill.

Her work flow was interrupted when Brooke walked through the door with Emma.

"I've been waiting for you to come over," Peyton deadpanned. She knew her friend would be dying for details.

"Good," Brooke said, sitting in a chair across the living room from her friend. "Now start talking."

Peyton went through the whole story, from how the feelings developed, to the kiss, to the day of avoidance, to the ensuing argument and date, and the fight when she'd come home the night before.

"Can you really blame him?" Brooke offered delicately.

"No," Peyton admitted quietly.

"I mean, the ink is barely dry on your divorce papers, Peyton," Brooke said worriedly. "I've been rooting for you two since senior year, but you need to be 100 per cent sure of what you want."

"I know that," Peyton said, then sighed loudly. "Life sucks!"

Brooke laughed. "It doesn't suck. It's just complicated sometimes."

"What if he was it all along? What if I'd found it when I was 17 and was too stupid to realize it. I've been through so much crap, Brooke." Peyton ran her hands through her hair in frustration.

"All that crap brought you here, Peyton," Brooke explained. "And yeah, I know you wish you didn't have to go through that, but you can't think that way. It all happened to get you _here_."

"When the hell did you become such an optimist?" Peyton laughed.

"Since you became my best friend and I had to make you see the silver lining in everything!"

"Right," Peyton said with a chuckle.

"I've gotta go to Haley's. We're having an impromptu girls' day since the boys are out. You want to come?" Brooke asked.

"Um...give me a few minutes to change, and I'd love to have a girls' day." Peyton smiled, stood from the couch and went to her room to throw on a pair of jeans and a tank top.

----

Brooke, Emma, Haley and Peyton had spent their day on Haley's back patio, sipping iced tea and basking in sunshine and conversation. Peyton had told Brooke not to mention anything about the drama she'd created between her and Lucas, and Brooke had kept her word.

They were throwing around possible names for Peyton's label when the boys came walking from the house to join them. Lucas, Nathan, and Jamie exchanged looks over the three laughing women sitting before them. Matthew was in Lucas' arms and immediately reached out for his mother.

"What's got you all so smiley?" Lucas asked as he passed his nephew to Haley.

"We were just joking around. Talking about names for Peyton's label," Haley said before placing a kiss on the crown of her son's head.

"You're starting your own label? That's awesome!" Nathan said enthusiastically.

Lucas just smiled widely at Peyton and offered a nod as he took a seat between her and Brooke. She smiled back and looked away.

"So what have you come up with so far?" Nathan asked as he sat in the vacant chair next to his wife.

"We've got, Studios, Tree Hill Records, and my personal favourite, Hoes Over Psychos," Brooke said, making all the girls burst into fits of laughter again. Clearly, none of the options they'd tossed around were serious ones. The brothers just shook their heads, obviously having missed the joke.

Just then, Jamie walked over and took Emma's little hand in his, then pressed a kiss to her forehead before running off to play basketball.

"Looks like your son's a ladies' man just like you, Scott," Peyton teased Nathan.

"Oh God. Keep him away from her!" Brooke demanded.

"Lord help us if he's like his father," Haley said, smiling innocently at her husband.

"Ouch, guys. That hurts," he complained. "I'm a changed man."

"Yes, you are, baby," Haley said, leaning over to kiss him gently.

"I think we should all go out tonight to celebrate Peyton's big decision," Lucas offered, standing from his seat and changing the subject.

"That's a great idea, Luke, but who would watch the kids?" Brooke asked.

"I can call mom," Nathan said with a shrug.

"You think Deb can handle a 7 month old and a 14 month old?" Peyton asked skeptically.

"Sure. Jamie will help with Matthew, and he clearly loves Emma," Nathan teased. Brooke shot him daggers across the table. "I'll go make the call."

Brooke and Haley got into a discussion over how wonderful Deb had been to both of them, so Lucas turned to Peyton and she gave him a nervous smile.

"You're really going to do it?" he asked. She nodded and a wide smile broke on her face. "That's great, Peyton."

"Thanks, Luke. Now I just have to find an office and a place to live," she said with a chuckle.

"Wait. You're doing it here?" he asked, surprised.

"Well, yeah," she answered, turning her body to face him completely

Something inside him shifted upon hearing that she was staying in Tree Hill. She'd been gone for so long and they all missed her terribly. Now, with her returning for good, everything felt right. The group was back together, and she was such a huge part of it. He had to smile.

"That's the best news I've heard all day," he said sincerely.

"Where would an apology fit on that list?" she asked, looking to her hands.

"Why? Who owes me one?" he joked.

"Luke..."

"We're both sorry. It's all good," he said with a smile and she sighed in relief.

"Mom's coming over after dinner," Nathan announced, joining his friends again.

"Great!" Haley said.

"I'd better get home and feed this one and get some things together," Brooke said, standing from her spot.

"Yeah. I should shower and stuff," Peyton said.

"Me too," Lucas said.

"OK, you two, but just do it separately, alright?" Nathan teased. Peyton could feel her face going red so she looked to the ground as she said goodbye and walked with Brooke to the driveway.

"Awkward!" Brooke said softly as they walked.

"Shut up!" Peyton laughed.

"He's right though. Try to keep it under wraps, OK?" Brooke teased, bumping her friend's hip with her own.

"Ready?" Lucas called as he stood next to his car waiting for Peyton. She smiled back at Brooke and made her way to him.

Once in the car, Lucas couldn't wipe the smile off his face. She was staying. He noticed, however, that she was uneasy.

"What's wrong?" he asked, not bothering to look at her.

"How'd you...?" She stopped herself and realized that he just knew her that well. "I'm really sorry, Luke."

"I know," he said softly. "Me too."

He knew he didn't have to say anything more. He knew that she'd understand why he'd jumped to conclusions and acted like an idiot. Their apologies never needed much explanation.

"Yeah, I got the note," she said with a breathy laugh.

"Is it lame that I left it in a note?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"No!" she proclaimed. "It was actually kind of perfect."

They drove the rest of the way just listening to the music coming from the stereo. She was relieved that they could both just forget that the kiss ever happened and go back to the way things were. Then she realized that she didn't want that. The more she thought about going back to the way things were, the more she realized that she didn't regret the kiss, and that the feelings she'd had for Lucas in recent days were real.

When they got inside the house, Lucas collapsed onto the couch.

"I'm so tired," he explained, closing his eyes.

"What'd you guys do today anyway?" Peyton asked from the kitchen.

"We went to the zoo. I forgot how much walking you have to do."

"Aww," she laughed. "Poor Lucas."

"I'm not kidding! I'm out of shape," he called.

She walked to stand in the doorway of the living room and looked at him laying on the couch.

"You don't look out of shape to me," she said with a grin. His eyes snapped open and he saw her there. He could only laugh. Thankfully she'd gone back into the kitchen before the blush appeared on his cheeks.

"What are you doing in there?" he asked, standing from the couch and making his way to the kitchen.

"Making dinner," she said nonchalantly. He watched her work from where he stood and saw how naturally cooking came to her.

"I'm gonna go shower," he said. "Unless you need my help."

"No, go ahead. Just don't use all the hot water or we'll have a problem," she said, her voice serious.

"Aaah, I'd just apologize in a note and everything would be OK again," he said. She turned to him and scowled.

"Get out of here," she joked, tossing the dish towel she'd had draped over her shoulder at him.

After he'd showered and gotten dressed, he came back into the kitchen, briefly taking Peyton's attention away from the food she was placing on plates. He was wearing dark jeans and a plain white button down shirt with a white undershirt beneath it. She smiled when she saw him. She'd once told him that the very thing he was wearing was her favourite look on a man.

"So do you like, take notes on everything I say?" she asked as they sat down to eat.

"What? This?" he asked, looking down at his clothing choice. "Just happened to be what I grabbed."

"Right," she said, twirling a bit of pasta on her fork.

"You're one to talk," he muttered.

"What?" she asked with a smile.

"Please! That little trick you pulled with the tee shirt yesterday?" He tilted his head and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Oh, that?" she said innocently. "It really was just hot in my room. Thanks for the fan, by the way."

"Sure," he said, stifling a laugh.

They finished their meal with more harmless flirting and conversation about her business ideas. She voiced her concerns on finding an office space, and he reassured her that she'd find something. He loved every second of it, being there with her. He'd never felt that comfortable with Kate. Just sitting and eating dinner with Peyton, even with all the things that had happened in the days prior, he just loved being in the same space as her and talking with her.

"OK," she said as she placed their plates in the sink. "I'm going to shower and get dressed, then we can go."

"Sure thing, boss," he joked, making her glare at him again.

He waited in his bedroom and returned emails while she showered, and watched her walk into her room with a towel wrapped around her body. Cruel. A few scenarios played out in his mind, and none of them involved going to Tric with all their friends. He was pulled from his thoughts when he heard a frustrated groan come from her room.

"What's wrong?" he shouted.

"I have nothing to wear!"

"Your suitcase is the size of a small car! I'm sure you have something in there that will do," he teased.

"Not the time for jokes, Luke! How long till Nathan picks us up?" she yelled.

He checked the clock next to his bed. "15 minutes."

He heard her mutter a four letter word, then the door slammed again. He couldn't help but think that that's what every day life with Peyton would be like. He found himself craving it. Since she'd come to stay with him, he'd gotten so used to having her around that he couldn't imagine her not living with him. He was getting way ahead of himself.

He was writing an email to his mom, explaining Peyton's plans and giving her the details on how everyone was doing, just as he did every second day, when Peyton appeared in his doorway. She was in a dark green cotton dress that had a tastefully plunging neckline and seemed to make her eyes look even more green - something he didn't think was possible.

"Let's go," she said simply. He got the impression that she was completely unaware of how stunning she looked.

She'd already started towards the front door before he pulled himself out of his Peyton-induced daydream (which he'd been having many of lately). He caught up with her just as she was about to pull the door open.

"You look beautiful," he whispered, pressing a kiss to her cheek as he reached for the doorknob. She smiled in response and made no effort to hide the blush on she felt creeping to her face.

They'd just stepped outside when Nathan and Haley arrived to pick them up. They each climbed in the back seat and Nathan made a comment about Peyton's dress that made Haley swat him on the chest, and they drove to Tric with the the two women complaining about Nathan's insistence to listen to a basketball game on the radio.

Brooke was already pulling up to the club when they got there, since she'd driven separately so she could leave early and pick up Emma.

"Come on girls," Brooke said, linking arms with Haley and Peyton. "Let's do some damage."

All three of them started laughing at the phrase that used to be a regular in Brooke's every day conversation, and walked off toward the club, leaving Nathan and Lucas behind.

"Why does it feel like we're 21 again?" Nathan asked, shooting his brother a quizzical look.

"What? The three of them dressed...like that, and leaving us to fend for ourselves? That's kind of the way it's always been, isn't it?" Lucas laughed.

"Yeah. At least they didn't ask us to hold their purses for them," Nathan said as they started walking towards the door.

"The night is young, Nate," Lucas joked, clapping a hand on his brother's back.

----

Nathan and Lucas were waiting in line at the bar to buy everyone a round of drinks, and the girls were already twirling on the dance floor to a popular song both men knew they all loved.

"Why do I have a feeling I'm going to have a drunk Haley on my hands tonight?" Nathan laughed, walking from the bar to a vacant table with a beer for himself and a gin and tonic for his wife.

"Most men would be happy about that," Lucas replied, setting his, Peyton's and Brooke's drinks on the table.

"Come on, Luke. You know how she gets. Two of these," he said, holding up her glass, "and she'll be falling asleep on my shoulder."

They were still laughing when the women joined them at the table.

"What's funny?" Haley asked, picking up her drink and sipping from the straw.

"We're just talking about how ridiculous you are when you're drunk," Lucas said nonchalantly.

Haley reached out and slapped Nathan's chest while her mouth hung open to show her irritation.

"What'd you hit _me_ for?" Nathan laughed, rubbing the spot where her hand had stung him.

"I _know_ you were the one who brought it up!" she replied. She knew her husband well, and both men started laughing again.

"Here's to Peyton's new label!" Brooke shouted, holding up her glass. They all laughed at the abrupt subject change.

They all offered their congratulations to the blonde, and clinked their glasses together before starting in on another conversation. Lucas noticed Peyton's attention wasn't focused on the words her friends were speaking.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly, leaning elbow on the table and turning his back to his friends so he could face her.

"Nothing!" she replied, perhaps too quickly. She knew by his kinked brow that he didn't believe her. "I'm just worried about how I'm going to do it all."

"You'll be great," he reassured her with a smile. "Come here." He cupped her elbow with his hand and led her away from the table, smirking at the confused look on her face.

"How long before those two are hooking up?" Haley asked with a chuckle after noticing the two blondes walk away.

"About 5 minutes," Nathan answered, making both Brooke and Haley laugh. Only Brooke knew how close to the truth that statement may have been.

----

Lucas led Peyton to a door in the back of the club before pulling his keys out of his pocket and unlocking the door. She had yet to say a word and the perplexed look on her face hadn't left since they'd walked away from their friends.

"Lucas, what is this?" she finally asked, stepping through the large sliding door into a room full of stray tables and boxes of liquor.

"This is your new office," he said with a smile.

"What!?" she shouted, spinning around to face him. "What are you talking about?!"

"Well, no one knows this, not even Haley, but my mom signed Tric over to me at the same time she gave me the house. I'm the sole owner, Peyton," he explained.

"OK..." she said skeptically, shaking her head slightly, still completely confused.

"And as the sole owner," he said, taking a step towards her, "I want you to have this space to use as your new office. Rent free."

"Lucas, I can_not_ do that," she said, holding out her hands in protest.

"Yes, you can. I told you I'd help you any way I can. And that even means getting Nathan to clear all this crap out of here," he joked.

"I can't," she repeated, turning back to look at the exposed brick walls and stained glass windows. It was the perfect space, she had to admit, but it was too much for him to offer.

"I insist. I'm not taking no for an answer," he persisted. She turned to face him again and saw the smile on his face, indicating that he was 100 per cent serious.

"I don't know what to say," she said softly.

"Say you'll come in here tomorrow and start setting things up. And maybe say thank you," he teased and shrugged his shoulders.

Before she'd said another word, she flew into his arms and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you," she whispered.

She wanted to kiss him. Badly. But she knew where he stood on the matter and she wasn't ready for a rejection, so she held back.

With her looking into his eyes that way, all he wanted to do was press his lips to hers and tell her that he'd do anything for her; that he'd always do anything for her.

They stood there for a moment before he suggested they get back to their friends, and they walked out of her 'office'. He was locking the door behind them and she was walking back to the table when she heard a vaguely familiar voice call her name. She turned her head in the direction of the sound.

"Eric. Hi," she said, surprised.

"You feeling better?" he asked. Lucas had begun towards her just in time to see the stranger's eyes pass over Peyton's body. He felt the jealousy rise up immediately.

"Um, yeah. Sorry about last night," she offered lamely.

"That's OK. I'm just glad you're alright," he said with a genuine smile, completely unaware that he'd been lied to. "Let me get you a drink."

He'd gestured to the bartender before she had time to decline his offer. Lucas watched the interaction and tried to read Peyton's body language, but her back was to him. She wasn't walking away from this guy, and he was getting her a drink.

Brooke looked over to where Peyton was standing, and saw the look on Lucas' face as he stood about 20 feet away from her, then she noticed Eric.

"Shit!" she muttered.

"What?" Nathan asked, following her gaze.

"That's the guy from our date last night," she explained worriedly.

"And a very jealous looking Lucas," Haley noted. "Could we have _one_ night without drama?"

"Guess not," Nathan said, offering Haley a sympathetic look.

Lucas was on his way back to the table, but stopped at the bar for another drink before rejoining his friends.

"Where'd you two run off to?" Haley asked, attempting to break the palpable tension.

"Who _is_ that guy?" he asked, ignoring Haley.

"That's um...He's..." Brooke stuttered. The look Lucas gave her was bone chilling. "He's kind of her date from last night."

The three friends watched as Lucas downed his scotch quickly and asked the waitress for another one. Haley gave Nathan a worried look and he could only shrug his shoulders. Clearly there was more going on with Lucas and Peyton than either of them knew.

She stood across the bar, talking to Eric, and she could see Lucas out of the corner of her eye. The enraged look on his face made her angry for some reason. He had no right to act that way, given that he was the one who'd put a stop to anything further happening between them. She barely heard Eric ask her to dance before his hand was on the small of her back and he was leading her to the dance floor.

"I need air," Lucas said angrily as he finally took his gaze of Peyton. He downed another drink before walking towards the exit.

"Nathan!" Haley whined urgently, implying that she wanted her husband to go after his brother.

"I'll go," Brooke said, avoiding eye contact with Nathan and Haley and putting her glass on the table.

She walked outside to find him leaning with his forearms on the railing of the balcony. She leaned her back against it so she could face him as they talked.

"I know about the kiss," she explained before he could say anything.

"What? She said you didn't."

"Yeah, well when she walked out on her date before dessert, she explained it all to me," Brooke said with a chuckle. He ran his hand through his hair. "Luke, you can't do this."

"Do what?!" he asked.

"Get all jealous and broody over her!" Brooke explained. "You're the one who said you didn't want to take things further."

"Yeah, well maybe I lied!" he finally admitted. The look on her face was momentarily one of surprise, then she rolled her eyes. Of course he'd lied to everyone, including himself. This was Lucas. She, of all people, knew that he was always the last one to be clued into his real feelings.

"So what are you going to do about it?" she asked quietly.

"What can I?" he asked. "She's in there grinding with what's-his-name and there's nothing I can do."

"First of all," she said with a chuckle. "She's not _grinding_ anyone." He glared at her before she continued. "Second of all, getting all jealous and squinty will only piss her off."

"Why would it piss her off?" he asked irritably.

"Because you said you didn't want her!"

"I _do_ want her." He was adamant, but his voice was soft. She knew he was sincere.

"Well, let her come to you," Brooke said, just as softly.

"What if she doesn't? You know how damn stubborn she is," he said, finally straightening his posture and standing in front of her.

"Unlike you, Luke, Peyton can't lie to her heart," Brooke said with a kinked brow. He sighed loudly, signaling that he knew she was right. "Come on. Let's go get you another drink...Or maybe not, since you've already pounded three."

"I need another one," he said with a pout, making her laugh.

She threw her arm around his waist and the walked back into the club. He made a beeline for the bar, and Brooke rejoined Haley and Nathan.

"It'll be fine," she assured them. "Eventually."

"Right," Nathan said, watching his brother sip from another glass.

An hour later, Peyton was still talking to Eric, but any chance she got, her eyes drifted towards Lucas. She wasn't sure how many drinks he'd had, but he was gesturing animatedly as he spoke to her friends. She wanted to excuse herself from Eric and go back to her friends, but he'd barely let her get a word in, and hadn't asked if she'd come with anyone. She was finishing her 4th cocktail and he asked if she wanted another one, but she politely declined the offer.

He'd leaned closer to her and let his eyes fall over her body again, before whispering in her ear. "You look gorgeous."

She remembered to earlier in the evening when Lucas had said similar words, and the feeling she'd gotten when he'd said them. She didn't feel that with Eric. She said thank you, and watched him smile as he pulled away.

Lucas had seen the exchange, and Nathan had followed his gaze, watching the events unfold. He saw Lucas ball his hand into a fist, and nudged his brother's arm with his elbow in a silent plea for him to relax. Lucas didn't seem to notice, and before he could be stopped, he was on his way over to where Peyton stood. Nathan, Haley, and Brooke watched in anticipation of what was about to happen.

Peyton saw Lucas walk up behind Eric, and she was relieved. She was bored and just wanted to be with her friends. Then she noticed the look in his eyes and his rigid, protective posture. When he saw that she'd noticed, he visibly relaxed, taking Brooke's advice to heart - he didn't want to piss her off. He didn't know that it was too late.

"Hey, Peyt. You gonna join us anytime soon?" he asked. Only he and Peyton identified the irritation in his voice.

"Hey man, I'm Eric. Sorry I've kept her from you all night," he chuckled. Lucas didn't see the humor in the statement. This guy had been in his way all night, and he was about to put a stop to it. When Eric extended his hand, Lucas turned his attention back to Peyton, completely ignoring the man's gesture.

"You coming?" he asked, searching her eyes. He saw the flash of anger he'd so wished to avoid. He knew he was being protective and, dare he say, territorial, but he couldn't take seeing Eric flirt with her any longer.

"Would you excuse me for a second?" she asked Eric. When he nodded, she grabbed Lucas' arm, maybe harder than she needed to, and pulled him to a quiet corner.

"What the hell, Luke!?" she asked.

"What are you doing?" he asked, ignoring her question.

"I'm talking to someone. God, Luke. You can't do this!" she said angrily. The stubborn side of her had come out. She had wanted to walk away from Eric all night, but Lucas thinking he had any sort of 'claim' to her was just infuriating.

He looked into her eyes and she saw his soften. He leaned forward so he could be sure she heard him loud and clear.

"I wanted to be the one to flirt with you all night."

She pulled away, annoyance written on her face. "You're drunk," she said calmly after a moment. Lucas Scott didn't say things like that. At least not sober.

"I'm not drunk, Peyton. I'm finally seeing clearly."

She stood for a moment, trying to figure out exactly what those words meant, but she was so angry, that she wanted to ignore them. She shook her head and held up her hands, indicating that she couldn't be around him any longer and that their conversation was over. She turned on her heel and walked back to Eric.

Lucas stood and watched as she started talking to Eric again, and he strode back over to the table where his friends were. Little did he know that she was telling the guy that she had to spend time with her friends and politely thanking him for the drinks. Before he could ask for her phone number, she had turned to walk away, just in time to see Lucas taking to Brooke.

"Brooke, when are you leaving?" Lucas asked desperately.

"Right now," she said, sensing the urgency in his voice. She knew he couldn't bear to stay a moment longer. "Let's go."

She offered a wave to Nathan and Haley and followed Lucas out of the club. The ride to his house was silent, and the only word he muttered was 'thanks' when she dropped him off.

Brooke sat in her SUV and waited until Lucas had closed the door of his house behind him before she left.

"Oh boy," she muttered to herself.

So much for no drama


	14. Chapter 14

Peyton returned to Nathan and Haley just as Brooke and Lucas walked out of the club. She was still angry, but she wanted to talk to Lucas. She wanted to have an actual conversation with him about what the hell was going on, or not going on. She hadn't wanted to talk to Eric at all, and hadn't expected him to be at Tric, and she had actually missed Lucas. She'd just been too stubborn and blinded by anger to let him know that.

"Where are they going?" she asked, gesturing towards them with her head, as she noticed two full glasses - one Lucas', one Brooke's - on the table in front of her. She picked up the martini glass and began sipping its contents.

"Brooke's taking Lucas home," Haley said tentatively after sharing a worried look with her husband.

"You want to tell us what's going on with you two?" Nathan asked.

"There's nothing going on with us," she said, draining the glass in her hands, and reached for the scotch sitting next to her hand on the table.

"Bullshit," Nathan said forcefully, surprising both women at the table.

"Nathan..." Haley tried to scold him, but Peyton's voice interrupted.

"He's made it perfectly clear that there's nothing going on with us." She drank the rest of the amber liquid and set the glass down, avoiding eye contact with her friends.

Nathan and Haley exchanged glances, knowing they had clearly missed an integral part of the story, but they could fill in the blanks on their own. Both blondes had been adamant that nothing was going on, but that had obviously changed in recent days.

"We're taking you home," Haley said. "You want to crash at our place?"

"No!" Peyton replied indignantly. "I'm not going to hide from him."

Haley looked to Nathan again. She should have known Peyton would be this stubborn. She didn't know what was going on between her and Lucas, but whatever it was, it was intense. And tense.

"Come on," Nathan said, placing his hand on the small of Haley's back and watching as Peyton strode off in front of them.

"This isn't good, is it?" Haley asked worriedly.

"No. Lucas jealous is almost as bad as me jealous," he explained gently. Haley chuckled softly despite herself. "Whatever he said to her, it didn't help matters."

They drove Peyton to Lucas' house, and Haley was dying to ask for details on what had transpired, but she knew by the look on Peyton's face that she should just leave it. Peyton was silent the entire ride, until they pulled up in front of the familiar house.

"Thanks, guys," she said softly, grabbing her purse and reaching for the door handle.

"Peyton," Nathan's voice rang out. She met his eyes as he turned around to look at her. "Try not to kill him, alright? He's the only brother I have."

She chuckled and nodded, and he was glad to have broken the tension, even if only momentarily.

----

Peyton walked into the house quietly, before realizing that Lucas had probably arrived only a few minutes before her. She walked through the house on her way to her room when she noticed him in the kitchen. He had a bottle of water in one hand, and the other rested on the counter he was leaning back against. She stopped in the doorway and watched him. _'Damn, he looks good,' _she thought. She wasn't sure what, if anything, she should say.

He hadn't expected her to be home so soon, or at all. He knew Peyton, and he knew how defiant she could get when she was feeling particularly stubborn. He'd like to think she wouldn't do something as rash as going home with a guy just to spite him, but he'd be the first to admit that he'd acted like an ass. But she was standing there, looking gorgeous and, if he was reading her correctly, a little remorseful.

"Hey," he said softly. She couldn't place the emotion in his voice.

"Hi," she whispered. She looked down to her hands as they twisted the strap of the wristlet she'd carried, and didn't see him walking towards her. "I...um..."

Before she could finish her sentence, his lips were on hers with an urgency that surprised her. His hands were on either side of her face and it took her a moment to reciprocate, but she closed her eyes and melted into his touch and his kiss. Her body was buzzing from the alcohol she'd had, and she knew his must have been too. His arm hooked around her waist and he walked her backward, pressing her against the adjacent wall and making her moan into his kiss. She pressed her hips forward and elicited the same response from him. He finally pulled away for a moment and looked into her eyes. Neither of them said a word before their lips met again.

She wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, making out in the hallway of his home. Her mind was completely numb to anything that wasn't his lips on hers or his hands running over her back or face or stomach. Eventually he pulled her towards his bedroom and they stumbled together through the door, which he kicked shut for no reason at all - they were the only people in the house.

"What are we doing?" he whispered breathlessly, one hand still buried in her hair, and the other around her back and pressing her close to him.

"I don't know," she said with a breathy laugh.

"Are you still mad at me?" he muttered.

"I don't know," she repeated. She was dead to any rational thought.

He moved to place kisses along her collar bone and his hand moved over the bare skin between her shoulder blades. He dragged his fingertips lightly down her spine and he felt her shiver against him.

"Definitely not mad," she mumbled, making him chuckle against her skin.

He kissed her again, softly, then moved his lips away from hers to press them along her jaw line. He placed a wet kiss to the hinge of her jaw before whispering again in her ear.

"You're going to have to be the one to stop this."

"What if I don't?" she asked. He pulled away to look at her, sobered by her words.

"Peyton..."

"What if I don't want to stop?" she whispered, grabbing either side of his collar in her hands. Her eyes met his and she could see too many emotions. She ignored them all and saw the one that she wanted to see - lust.

"Then we can't go back," he said softly. She smiled and he kissed her again.

He walked her back towards the bed and let go of her long enough for her to lay back on the pillow. He smiled and rested himself on top of her. She mewled at the contact and the feel of him against her, and her hands found his face. She kissed him again and felt his hand move to the bare skin on her thigh as she bent her leg, pointing her knee skyward. She threw her head back and he began kissing her neck again.

Suddenly it all seemed too fast. She was kissing Lucas. Lucas was the one making her feel this way. Her best friend. He was right; if they did this, they couldn't go back. She wanted it to happen, but not like this.

"Maybe we shouldn't," she said softly and out of breath. His head dropped to her shoulder and she heard him sigh. "I'm sorry."

"It's OK," he insisted, rolling off her and turning to sit on the edge of the bed with his back to her. It wasn't OK. He wanted her. Badly.

She lay on her back for a few moments to catch her breath, then she sat up and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, taking him by surprise.

"I don't want to ruin it," she admitted softly into his ear.

"Ruin what?" he asked, confused.

"Us. We've been drinking and you're jealous and I'm mad. I just...that's not the best way to do this," she explained.

"I definitely _was_ jealous, and you said you weren't mad," he said, making them both chuckle.

"Why were you jealous?" she asked. She knew she'd baited him, but she wanted to hear his explanation. She wasn't fishing for a compliment.

"I...He was...," he stuttered before finding words. "Look at you! God, you're so damn sexy that it kills me, and I saw you with him and how he was looking at you and I just...I lost my mind."

"You're about to make me change mine," she growled, and kissed the spot just below his ear that she'd learned as a teenager drove him crazy. She heard him let out a moan.

"Then maybe I should keep talking," he laughed. She moved her arms and snaked them around his stomach, and he felt her place her knees on either side of him. He could barely control himself with her that close to him. He knew that one swift move would have her on her back.

"I'm sorry," she said, pressing a kiss to the back of his neck.

"You'll just be sorry if you don't stop that," he chuckled. His hands found hers and he took them in his.

"How did we end up here?" she asked in disbelief. She pulled her hands away from his and brought them to his shoulders and began gently massaging him. She'd done it simply to create a distraction and stop herself from kissing him.

"You tell me, babe." The term of endearment made her heart rate increase.

"OK, stop," she insisted, moving away from him and laying on her back.

"What?" he asked, turning to look at her. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of her. He stared at her for a moment, laying there on his bed with her dress wrinkled from their activities and her hair framing her face as it lay on the pillow. "You look so hot."

"Lucas!" she squealed. He crawled over to lay next to her and he threw his arm over her stomach.

"Don't act all innocent," he teased. His voice changed to a whisper and he leaned into her. "You're making me crazy." His thumb moved in slow circles on her side as they lay there.

"Lucas," she whispered after a few moments.

"Yeah?" He raised his head off the pillow to look at her.

"Can I sleep in here with you?" she asked, already knowing what his answer would be. He smiled down at her and kissed her gently.

"Of course you can."

She hopped off the bed and ran out of the room.

"Where are you going?" he laughed.

"Pajamas!" she shouted back.

She returned a few minutes later wearing the tee shirt she'd tortured him with the day before, and a devilish grin. He groaned and shook his head at her.

"What?" she asked innocently.

"Tease," he said, standing and walking towards her. He hooked his arm around her waist and kissed her forehead before releasing her. She got under the covers and watched him as he unbuttoned his shirt. His hands went to his belt and she unconsciously bit her lip. The alcohol hadn't worn off yet, and neither had the effects of his earlier kisses. He looked over at her just as he'd undone the buckle.

"Stop it," he insisted.

"Huh?" she asked, pulled from her thoughts. Her face went red and he laughed at her again.

"You gonna be able to control yourself there, Miss Sawyer?" he chided.

"I'll be fine," she muttered, rolling onto her side away from him.

Moments later, he turned out the light and pulled back the sheets. He slid in next to her, his hand coming to rest on her thigh as her back pressed against his chest. He felt her inhale against him.

"'Night, Lucas," she whispered. He didn't respond, he just kissed her shoulder and took a deep breath.

He lay awake for a while. The feel of her in his arms made his mind and heart race. He'd never felt like this with a woman before. He wondered how she made him feel so calm and so turned on at the same time. He never wanted to let her go - he wouldn't. He had no idea how they'd ended up like that. She had been so angry with him just an hour earlier, and now they lay together in his bed. He knew one thing: if she hadn't stopped them, neither of them would be trying to fall asleep at the moment. God, he wanted her.

"Stop thinking about me," she said flatly, her eyes still closed.

"How did you...?" he asked.

"I'm thinking about you, too," she said, turning in his arms so she was laying on her back again. She took his hand and rubbed his thumb with hers. He smiled at her, though he knew she couldn't see through the darkness.

"I haven't stopped thinking about you since the first night you got here," he said, his voice low and sincere. He kissed her gently and pulled away again, resting his head back down on the pillow.

"Mmmm." The throaty moan was her only response. Being with Lucas felt so..._right_. His words and gentle touches were making her rethink her desire to wait. Suddenly all she wanted was to resume kissing him.

"I forgot about all those little sounds you make," he said softly, nuzzling her neck.

"And I forgot all those little lines you have that make me want to..." She stopped herself when she realized what she was about to say.

"Want to what?" he asked, teasingly. She could hear the smile he was wearing.

"Nothing," she said. She was glad he couldn't see her face redden.

"Liar," he said, kissing her neck again.

"Stop kissing me!" she joked.

"Baby, I don't want to ever stop kissing you," he said, pulling her closer to him, though he knew she was already almost as close as she could get. "Is that one of the lines?"

"It's a good example, yes," she laughed.

"So...what does it make you want to do?" he husked.

"Stop it, Luke. I'm serious," she said. She knew she couldn't resist him much longer. His fingertips traced her collarbone and he chuckled when she shivered beneath his touch. "OK, maybe I should go sleep in my room."

"NO!" he insisted. "I'll be good, I promise. Stay," he pleaded.

She turned onto her side so she was facing him and threw her arm over him. He pulled her close so their bodies were flush to one another and their legs tangled together.

"Good night, Peyton."

They both went to sleep with smiles on their faces that were long overdue.


	15. Chapter 15

Lucas woke up in the morning to realize that his arm was completely numb, with Peyton's sleeping head resting on it. He would have loved to groan at the physical discomfort, but he couldn't bear to wake her, so he just lay there, watching her breathe in and out. He ran his free arm idly up and down her arm as it was draped over him. He must have stayed like that for a half hour before her eyes fluttered open and she took a deep breath as she smiled at him.

"Morning, gorgeous," he whispered. Her response was a groan, making him chuckle. "You hung over?"

She shook her head in the negative. "Too early." She buried her head in his chest and he attempted to pull her closer to him before remembering that his arm was useless.

"I need my arm back, babe," he laughed. She rolled away from him without a word and he gave his arm a shake, hoping to get the blood flowing again. "You want breakfast?"

"Yeah," she mumbled, then turned back to him. "You want to bring me breakfast in bed?" She wiggled her eyebrows in the most adorable way, and he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"I can't say no to you," he muttered. "I can't believe last night happened." He spoke more to himself than to her. He set his feet on the floor and she watched him walk to the door in just his boxers.

"Hey Luke?" He spun around to look at her before leaning against the door frame and smiling at her rumpled appearance. "You want to just stay in bed all day long?"

"Why did you suggest that after I'd already left?" he joked, making her chuckle. "I'd love to."

Peyton lay there in his bed and sheets and tee shirt, and she couldn't wipe the smile off her face. How had she ended up there? She thought about how it had been such a long time coming. Every time she thought about his kisses, her stomach fluttered. She remembered the first time they kissed, then the first time they were in bed together, in a seedy motel along the coast. She remembered the kisses he'd pressed on her stomach and the way his eyes saw everything in her.

She got up out of the bed after about 10 minutes of reminiscing and walked to the kitchen. He hadn't heard her come up behind him, and was surprised when she snaked her arms around his stomach and kissed his neck sweetly.

"Hi there," he said as he continued tending to the omelette he was making.

"How come we haven't been doing this all along?" she asked, moving away from him and leaning against the counter next to him.

"We kind of have," he laughed. "Just without the making out."

She playfully punched his shoulder and he cowered away from her. She poured them each a cup of coffee.

"This smells really good," she admitted with a smile. She'd been doing most of the cooking since she'd arrived, and she'd forgotten that he knew his way around the kitchen.

"Why don't you go back in there and wait for me to bring you some?" he said sweetly.

How did she get so lucky? Was she really doing this - feeling this - with her best friend?

She took their mugs to his bedroom and got back under the covers. It was a mid-summer day in North Carolina, so she had no reason to snuggle beneath the sheets, but it felt right so she did it anyway.

He'd watched her walk out of the room, his tee shirt barely covering the boy cut underwear she had on. He'd never wanted her more.

He put two plates on a tray and carried it into his bedroom, only to find her cuddled up beneath the covers, only her face poking out. She smiled and sat up when she felt the bed dip next to her.

They ate their omelettes, which were met with a chorus of noises from Peyton expressing how good her breakfast was.

"Peyton," Lucas said seriously, "I'm sorry about last night and the whole jealousy thing."

She tilted her head at him and smiled. "It's OK. Actually, it was kind of sexy," she admitted softly, leaning towards him to kiss him softly. "You know, when I wasn't mad at you for being an ass."

"Right," he nodded.

"Sorry for...lots of things," she said quietly.

"You weren't _trying_ to make me jealous, were you?" he asked, unsure if he wanted to know the answer. If she said yes, it meant that she had wanted him all night like he'd wanted her. If she said no, it meant she hadn't cared what he thought.

"Well I didn't know he was going to be there, obviously. And then I just couldn't get away from him. I would have rather been with you guys, of course," she said with a smile. "Oh God! I hardly talked to anyone last night."

"They were busy trying to calm me down," Lucas half-joked.

"I'm a terrible friend," she jested. "I should call Haley."

"No!" he said quickly. "No outside distractions today, OK?" His hand reached for hers and he bought it to his lips to place a gentle kiss on her palm.

"OK," she nodded. She stood up and grabbed their dirty dishes and took them to the kitchen.

"You need to put pants on or something!" he called after her, laying back on his bed.

"You complaining?" she asked, peering into his room from the hallway.

"Not exactly," he admitted with a boyish grin. He saw her take off down the hall. "Where are you going, wily?"

"I have a game we can play!" she yelled back. He heard her walking back towards his bedroom.

"A naked game?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows jokingly.

"Luke!" she scolded as she got back on the bed and set her computer on the night stand next to her. "We can play later. It's fun."

"OK. Well, what do you want to do right now?" he asked as she settled back into his arms.

"This," she said, placing her hand on his chest.

They lay like that for a few hours, just talking about everything they could think of. She told him all about the research she'd done on starting her label. She'd spoken to her old boss who'd agreed to help her however he could, and now that she had an office - for which she thanked him again - she could really put things into motion. He told her the comments his editor had given him about the recent chapters of his book, and that the head of his publisher's company had pegged him as the best young literary talent he'd ever seen. They just talked like they always had. Only this time, they stopped to kiss every now and again. It wasn't awkward or strange. It just felt natural.

---

"Have you heard from your brooding brother today?" Haley asked Nathan as she joined him in their living room. He had been playing on the floor with the boys, but moved to the sofa when he saw his wife coming into the room.

"No. Any word from Peyton?" he questioned. She grabbed his wrist to look at the time. It was 1:30. Surely, one of them should have made contact by now.

"Nope. You think we should send the police over there to make sure they haven't killed each other?" she teased.

"They're probably just staring at each other waiting to see who'll cave first. You know those two." He laughed at the friendship the two shared. They'd had their share of battles over the years, but they'd always resolved them after a few days of not talking.

"I don't know, Nathan. There is something going on that we don't know about," she said seriously.

"Yeah, but it's Luke and Peyton. They'll figure it out," he assured her, dropping his hand to her thigh comfortingly.

"I hope so."

Nathan could sense the worry in his wife's voice and decided to do something to placate her fears.

"I'll tell you what," he said, turning to face her. "How about we feed these two, then we can put Mattie down for his nap, and I'll head over to Luke's to make sure everything's OK."

"Thank you," she said softly, kissing him gently, eliciting a disgusted groan from their oldest son, while the other played with his blocks cluelessly.

-----

"So what's this game?" Lucas asked after a while. He checked the clock and it was nearly 2:00.

"Get your computer," she said happily, and he obliged. He stood and grabbed his laptop from his desk before settling beneath the warmth of the covers again. "So what you do, is you go through your iTunes list and pick out the song that best fits a certain description. Like, for instance, the happiest song you have?"

"Ah. I see," he said. He scrolled through his list. "Happiest song?" She nodded back at him. "_We Are The Champions_."

"Really?" she asked, surprised.

"Yup. You hear it after any sports championship. I just think of how that must feel, you know? The roar of the crowd and how...elated you would be."

"You've won a championship, Luke," she reminded him.

"Yeah, but it's not the same. I mean, that felt amazing, definitely. And so have the ones I've won coaching. But there's something about being the best of the best, you know?"

"Sure," she nodded. "You miss it? Playing?"

"Not as much as Nate. But yeah. I just wonder what could have happened if it weren't for my heart, you know?" he asked. "But it all happens for a reason, right?" She nodded again and offered a smile. "What's your happiest song, then?"

"_Carolina In My Mind_," she said with a timid smile.

"James Taylor," he added with a smile of his own.

"When I was in Chicago and feeling really, really homesick, I'd just put on James and he'd sing me that lullaby. I actually saw him not too long ago when he was touring. It was amazing. I had goose bumps when he sang it. It just...brings me back here, or something."

They shared a moment just staring at each other. He'd loved that she'd finally admitted to getting homesick. She'd never told him that before, even though he had thought on some level that it was true.

"OK, saddest song," he said after breaking her gaze.

"Saddest song..." her voice trailed as she searched through her list. "_Lover, You Should've Come Over_. Jeff Buckley."

"Damn. That's so good that I wish it was mine," he admitted shaking his head.

"What's yours?" she asked with a laugh.

"_End of the Road_," he admitted, not a shred of nervousness in his voice as he named the song.

"Shut up! You do not have _End of the Road_ on your iTunes!" she joked, leaning over to see that, yes, he indeed had Boys II Men on his playlist.

"It's the best breakup song ever!" he said seriously. "Come on! The drums start it off, then that speech by the guy with the low voice. Just makes you want to cry sometimes."

"Just makes _you_ want to cry sometimes," she teased. "Baby," she muttered under her breath.

"Hey!" he shouted indignantly.

"Most embarrassing song," she laughed.

"Can I use _End of the Road_?" he joked. She shook her head. "I have _Hey Lover_ by LL Cool J and Boys II Men..."

"Oh my God! Who knew you were a closet Boys II Men fan!?" she said before launching into a fit of laughter.

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up. What's your most embarrassing?" he asked, shaking his head at her as she laughed.

"I have_ I Said I Loved You, But I Lied_ by Michael Bolton. It was an impulse buy after the whole...Joshua...thing," she said, not wanting to mention her ex's name, but realizing she was too deep into the story to stop.

"Boys II Men is _way_ less embarrassing than Michael Bolton," he pointed out, making her laugh again. "OK, what song reminds you of me?"

"_Use Somebody_ by Kings of Leon," she said proudly. She didn't even have to search her list. It was one of her current favourites, and since he'd spent the weekend with her in Chicago, she thought of him each time she heard it.

"That is a very cool song to be linked to," he said softly, leaning forward to kiss her.

"What about me?" she asked, giddy to hear his answer.

"I can't believe you don't already know that," he said, shaking his head.

"What?" she asked, confusion in her voice.

"_Linoleum_," he said softly. "The first words I ever said to you were the lyrics to that song."

She didn't say anything. She just placed her computer back on the bedside table before taking his and doing the same. She put her hands on either side of his face and pulled him into a kiss that, even as it was happening, he knew he'd never forget. He sat up so they were facing each other, and she moved to the space between his legs, placing hers on either side of his body. She ran one hand through his hair as the other moved down his spine, and she passed her tongue along the seam of his lips. His hands roamed to her back and snuck beneath her shirt, feeling her smooth skin as he pulled her closer to him.

She moaned into his kiss when his fingertips grazed the top of her underwear, which happened to be the only other garment she was wearing. He pulled away from her mouth to place kisses on her neck, and her hands moved to the waist band of his boxers. He tugged at the bottom of her tee shirt and began to pull it up off her body.

That's when the door swung open and Nathan strode in.

"Oh shit! Sorry!" he said, perhaps louder than he had to. Peyton's head spun around to see him, before she buried it in the crook of Lucas' shoulder "I'll just...go around and...wait. In the living room..."

"Oh my God," she muttered, still sitting in the same position with Lucas' hands on her back beneath her shirt. Nathan closed the door and she could hear him laughing on the porch. "Why didn't you lock the door?!"

"I didn't know you were going to...do...that," Lucas said lamely. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down and regain composure.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. She pulled back and he couldn't help but smile at her flustered appearance. "What?"

"Nothing," he chuckled, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "Just...you...this...You are _really_ good at it." He'd said it to tease her, but it also wasn't a lie.

"Lucas!" she squealed, swatting his chest before moving away from him. Her face went even more red, which just made him want her more.

"Listen, is one of you two gonna come out and talk to me, or should I just leave?" came Nathan's muffled voice from outside Lucas' bedroom door. Presumably, he was sitting in the living room waiting, like he'd said.

"You want me to go?" she asked with a laugh, standing from the bed.

"Yeah, I need a minute," he admitted. "Put something on, though, OK?"

"I have something on!" she pointed out indignantly. He raised a brow and looked at her skeptically before she rolled her eyes and grabbed his robe from the back of his door.

He watched her disappear into the hallway and when she closed the door behind her, he took another deep breath. It had been a lot of years since he'd wished he didn't have a brother, but right now, those thoughts were flooding his mind.

"Hey Nate," Peyton said, the blush returning to her cheeks.

"Oh, come on, Sawyer. It's not like I haven't see it before," he said, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

"Shut up!" she replied, swatting the back of his head as she sat next to him on the sofa.

"I'm really sorry," he admitted sincerely. "I just came over to make sure everything was um...OK between you two. And clearly, it is."

"It's just fine, thanks," she replied, making them both laugh again.

"So you want to tell me what the hell I just walked in on?" he asked. "I mean, I know what it was, but...yeah. How did this all happen?"

"It just...did," she offered lamely.

"Well it's about damn time," Nathan said happily. "I mean, I would have rather not actually _seen_ it, but what can you do?"

"You can try knocking!" she said, feeling embarrassed again.

"I'm sorry! I just never expected that! Kate was a 'lights off' kind of girl, which I _know_ you aren't," he teased.

"Nathan!" she cried, irritation in her voice.

"What?" he laughed. "You know I have grounds to torture you about this forever, right?"

"Oh, you want to start telling stories?" she threatened, raising her eyebrows.

He contemplated it for a moment, knowing that she had dirt on him that he'd rather everyone else not know, then noted the serious look on her face. "OK fine. I'll back off."

Lucas had put on a pair of shorts and a black tee shirt and walked into the room.

"Hey, little brother," he said nonchalantly, sitting in the chair across from them.

"Nice work, Luke. Pissed off to in the bed in just over 12 hours! That's a good record with this one," Nathan said, gesturing towards Peyton with his thumb. She just sat there with her mouth agape in disbelief of Nathan's words

"I actually had her in bed last night, but who's counting?" Lucas laughed.

"Luke!" she cried.

"I'm kidding," he said, trying to calm her. The angry look on her face didn't go away. "We're guys! This is how we are! You're just not used to being the subject of these talks."

"Do you usually have these talks when the subject is in the room?" she asked seriously. Nathan and Lucas exchanged a look, knowing she was right.

"Hey, baby, you wanna go into the kitchen and grab us some water?" Lucas teased, making Nathan laugh uproariously.

"You are on my list, Lucas Scott," she warned, standing from her spot. "I'm going to get dressed."

Lucas watched her walk into her room and close the door behind her. He didn't notice his brother staring at him.

"What?" he asked after he'd finally refocused his attention on his guest.

"Finally," Nathan said simply. "You two morons have been driving us all crazy since high school."

"What does that mean?" Lucas asked.

"It means this is kind of the least surprising thing that could have happened," Nathan laughed. "But I'm happy for you. Both of you."

"Thanks, Nathan," Lucas said with a smile. "Haley's going to die."

"Oh, please. She's been bugging me about it non stop since you got back from Chicago," Nathan admitted. "Speaking of, I should get back. Expect a call from her in about 20 minutes."

"Thanks for the warning," Lucas chuckled.

"And try locking the door next time," Nathan said. The two men shared a look when some angry rock started blaring from behind the closed door down the hall. "If there is a next time."

"Noted," Lucas said with a laugh. "See you later."

He watched Nathan drive away, then made his way to her bedroom door, knocking before turning the knob.

"Hey," he said, watching as she pulled a tank top over her head. Suddenly, in his eyes, any clothing was too much clothing for her to be wearing.

"Hi," she replied sheepishly.

"Sorry about that. Just...guy stuff," he offered. "You aren't mad, are you?" He took a few steps towards her and she gave him a genuine smile before speaking.

"Slightly mortified that your brother slash my ex-boyfriend just walked in on us...getting acquainted? Yes. Mad? No."

He laughed at her choice of words and wrapped his arms around her.

"So much for staying in bed all day," he chuckled.

"Well, we could have if only you'd locked your door," she said teasingly, tracing her finger down his chest.

"Careful, Blondie," he muttered, his lips just above hers.

"Oh my God!" she said, surprised, before pulling away. "You haven't called me that in ages."

He placed his finger beneath her chin and brought her face back to his gently and kissed her once again. He was starting to think he'd never get sick of doing it. He let out a low whine as she pulled away.

"I think I'm gonna go see Brooke," she said, reaching for an elastic to pull her hair up.

"You don't have to go," he said. She noticed a boyish disappointment in his voice, and smiled at him.

"You've had boy talk, now I get to have girl talk," she explained. She swept her hair up to pull it into a pony tail, and he began placing kisses on the skin now left bare on her shoulders and neck. "That's not going to stop me from leaving."

"So what am I supposed to do?" he pouted as she walked past him and started down the hall.

"I don't know. Write. Read. Do laundry! I have a whole basket in there," she said with a laugh as she reached for the doorknob. "I'll see you later."

"Hey!" he said, walking to meet her at the door and kissing her once more. "Bye."

She rolled her eyes, but inside she was gushing. How she'd forgotten what a good kisser he was, she wasn't sure. One thing she knew: he was making her more than just a little weak in the knees.

Why _hadn't_ they been doing this all along?


	16. Chapter 16

Peyton walked into Brooke's unusually quiet house to find her friend working away on a dress in her living room with a baby monitor next to her pin cushion.

"Hey, P. Sawyer," Brooke sang with a barely contained grin.

"What's that look for?" Peyton asked, flopping down on the couch.

"Please! I just got off the phone with a squealing Haley, telling me that her husband walked in on you and Lucas ripping each others' clothes off!" Brooke said excitedly. Peyton didn't say anything, but the blush on her cheeks told Brooke everything she needed to know. "Oh my God! It's true!"

"It might be," Peyton admitted sheepishly.

"How much do you hate Nathan right now?" Brooke asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Not as much as Lucas does," she laughed.

"Tell me everything!" Brooke squealed after her laughter died down.

She sat next to her friend on her sofa and listened as Peyton explained what happened when she got home, and then how they'd spent their morning and early afternoon. Brooke could barely contain her giddiness. She'd always been a lover of gossip, especially when she was hearing it first.

"So did you talk about things?" Brooke asked.

"What things?" Peyton asked with a chuckle.

"You guys! What this means. How you feel," Brooke clarified.

"Not really. I mean, I think it was pretty clear. He said he didn't want to be my rebound, and that's not what I'm doing," Peyton explained.

"Does he know that?" Brooke asked timidly, not wanting to upset her friend.

"Well, I don't think he'd have done anything if he thought I was just using him to get over Joshua."

"Are you over Joshua?" Brooke inquired.

"Yes," Peyton said convincingly. "You know, if you'd asked me a week ago, I don't know what I would have said, but I realized that it's _over_. And I feel more comfortable with Lucas than I ever did with Joshua." She looked up at Brooke's smiling face. "That's really horrible to admit, isn't it?"

"No! Not at all," Brooke assured her. "You and Lucas have known each other for so long. You two just make sense."

"Yeah," Peyton said, her mind drifting back to their day together and the feeling of being held in his arms with his heart beating against her cheek.

Then a million horrible thoughts ran through her head. What if they break up? What if the desire to be together was just fueled by the comfort they felt being in the same space, and not by genuine, heartfelt feelings? What if he got bored of her? What if he was just fulfilling some boyhood fantasy?

"What if we break up, Brooke?" she asked frantically. "Everything would be different! I'd lose him, and then you guys would all have to choose sides, and Nathan and Haley would side with him, and I'd lose them too, and..."

"Peyton, you're rambling," Brooke interrupted, wrapping a reassuring arm around the blonde's shoulder. "And you're talking crazy. Why would you think that you and Lucas would break up?"

"I didn't think Joshua and I would break up, and he left," Peyton said softly, looking down at her clasped hands.

"Here's the thing, though," Brooke said soothingly, placing her hand on Peyton's knee. "Lucas isn't Joshua."

----

Lucas had tried writing after Peyton left. He'd failed. Then he'd tried reading, but his mind wouldn't focus on that either. All he could think about was how her skin felt and tasted, and how he'd give anything to go back in time and lock his damn door.

He remembered her final suggestion and decided to actually do laundry. He had a pile that he'd ignored as well, so he grabbed both their baskets and trudged to the laundry room while he waited for Haley to call him and beg for details.

Sure enough, the phone rang just as he'd loaded the washing machine.

"Hi, Haley," he said playfully.

"How'd you know it was me?" she asked.

"Best friend's intuition," he teased. "What's up?"

"_What's up_? You did _not_ just ask me that," she said. "Details. Now. But not too many."

"What are you talking about?" he joked. He knew she'd be able to picture the cruel smile he always got when he tortured her like this.

"Lucas, start talking right now," she demanded, making him laugh.

"She just came home last night - thanks for getting her here safely, by the way - and I kissed her," he started.

"You just kissed her? Like...without warning?" she interrupted.

"Pretty much," he laughed.

"Be as vague as possible please, but did you...?" she asked.

"No!" he assured her. "We just slept in my bed. Then I made breakfast and we laid in bed all day talking about...pretty much everything we could think of. Then Nathan walked in."

"Yeah, I heard. Gross, but....glad I wasn't him," she joked. "How much do you hate him right now?"

"More than junior year," he admitted, making them both laugh.

"So have you guys talked about it?" Haley asked.

"About what?" he inquired, oblivious.

"About you two! About what you're getting yourselves into," she clarified.

He shrugged his shoulders though he knew she couldn't see. "What's there to talk about?"

"Uhh. A lot, Lucas," she said, taking on her school teacher tone. "For one, she's recently divorced, she's one of your best friends, she's currently kind of homeless and starting a business. You need me to go on?"

"Haley, everything will work out. I just want to be with her," he admitted quietly.

"I'm glad to hear that, Lucas, really. But...just think about what you're doing," she said gently.

"I don't want to think about it, Hales. Every time I think about what I'm doing, something gets in the way. You told me to follow my heart," he said, unable to hide the irritation in her voice.

"I know I did, and I wasn't implying that you shouldn't be with Peyton," she explained. "I just think you two need to have a couple serious conversations about things before making any rash moves. Like having sex in the middle of the day with the door unlocked."

He chuckled at her attempt to lighten the tone of the conversation.

"Maybe you're right," he finally agreed.

"Where is she, anyway? I'm surprised you even picked up the phone," Haley said with a laugh.

"She's with Brooke," he chuckled.

"They are _not_ having girl talk without me!" she cried indignantly.

"What are you, 16? God, Hales, I just told you everything," he teased.

"I know, but girls say things differently."

"Goodbye," he said abruptly, wanting to end the conversation then and there.

"What if I'm not done talking?" she joked.

"Then I'm still hanging up," he explained.

"Bye, Lucas," she sang before he ended the call.

Nathan walked into the kitchen to find his wife sitting at the counter with a cup of tea, and a contented smile on her face.

"What are you doing?" he asked, knowing something was running through that beautiful head of hers.

"What?" she asked innocently.

"You called Lucas, didn't you," he asked with a laugh, sliding into the seat next to her.

"Of course I did." He laughed at her and pressed a kiss to her temple. "You think they're going to work out?"

"Haley, the only thing I'm _more_ sure of is you and me, and how much I love our family," he said convincingly. She sighed and smiled. Even after 10 years of marriage, he could still make her feel like a teenaged girl falling in love for the first time.

"You know, you can be very sweet sometimes," she said softly, leaning in to capture his lips.

"Mmm," he moaned from low in his throat before she pulled away. "I just tell the truth."

She smiled again, but it turned to a frown as she stared idly into her cup of tea.

"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"Peyton and Brooke are having girl talk without me," she pouted, making him laugh and wrap his arms around her.

----

Peyton left Brooke's house an hour and a half later knowing that her friend was right - she and Lucas needed to talk about their relationship, no matter how early it was to be talking about the heavy issues. Even the thought of the conversation made her uneasy, but she knew it was necessary. She had only been gone a little while and she was already missing him. It was then that she realized that she didn't want to be without him. Ever.

Lucas was sitting on the couch in the living room folding laundry when she walked in the door, immediately making her laugh.

"You didn't actually..." she started before he interrupted.

"You know, it's really not fair to make your new boyfriend, who you haven't had sex with, do your laundry. Because when he finds things like this," he said, holding up a black lacy thong, "it will _really_ make him upset that he hasn't seen you in them."

"Boyfriend?" she asked with a smile, hastily grabbing the garment from him.

"Well, I hope so," he said sheepishly.

She sat on the coffee table in front of him and took his hands in her own.

"We should probably talk about this, shouldn't we," she said with a timid smile.

"Haley thought the same thing," he pointed out.

"I just want you to know that I...I mean this isn't a rebound thing," she explained, avoiding his eyes. "Today was the most fun and relaxed and...like myself that I've felt in a long time. Years, maybe."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "You have no idea how good it is to hear you say that," he said softly.

"I'm just a little scared," she admitted quietly.

"Of what?" he asked, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.

She sat for a moment, trying to stop the tear from pooling in her eye. "I cant lose you, Luke," she whispered. "And I know it's a crazy thing to say since we just started this...whatever this is...But I can't lose you like I lose everyone."

"Hey, hey," he said hurriedly, reaching up to place his palm on her cheek. "You won't lose me. You couldn't if you tried."

"How do you know?" she asked sadly.

"Peyton," he said, making her finally look into his eyes. "I'm not about to lose you either, OK? I'm not going anywhere."

She smiled and shifted from the table and onto his lap, and drew his face to hers to kiss him slowly.

"Does that mean I get to see that on you?" he asked in a low voice, gesturing to the balled up fabric she'd left on top of the laundry basket.

"How about seeing me in nothing?" she whispered before she nibbled his earlobe.

"Mmm. Nothing's good. Nothing works."

He'd just placed his hand around her waist to pull him closer, and his lips met hers again, when the phone rang.

"Are you kidding me?" he sighed in frustration.

"Maybe it's a sign," she said with a laugh, though he was clearly not amused by the situation.

"Yeah, that I should turn always my cell off before I kiss you," he said before opening his phone. "Hello?"

"Hey, Luke," Nathan's voice rang out. "Would you be able to watch Jamie for a little while?"

"Uhh, yeah, of course. What's up?" Lucas asked worriedly. He could barely focus on his brother's voice with Peyton fingering the hair at the nape of his neck.

"Mattie's got a little bit of a fever, so we're going to take him to the doctor's. We shouldn't be long," Nathan explained.

"You want us to come over there?" Lucas asked.

"Actually, that'd be great. He hasn't eaten or anything yet," Nathan said.

"OK. We'll be over in a few minutes," Lucas said, closing his phone. "You hear all that?"

"Yeah," Peyton replied. "Let's go."

They both stood and she followed him to the door, tucking her hand in his. He smiled down at her and their hands barely left each other's from their door to Nathan and Haley's.

They walked in without knocking, and saw Haley lean down to kiss Jamie's forehead and Nathan rustle his oldest son's hair.

"Thank you so much guys," Haley said. "We'll be back in a couple hours, I'm sure."

"It's no problem, Hales," Lucas assured her, running his hand over the baby's head as the boy rested on Nathan's shoulder.

"OK. I trust you can take care of dinner? And try not to scar my son for life by reenacting what I walked in on today," Nathan laughed. Haley swatted his arm and he pulled the door shut behind them.

"Leave it to Nate to make jokes right now," Peyton said with a chuckle.

"What did he walk in on?" Jamie asked innocently.

Lucas could only laugh as he placed his hand on the boy's shoulder and led him into the kitchen. "I'll tell you when you're older."

"But I'll forget to ask!" Jamie protested.

"That's kind of what I'm hoping for, buddy," Lucas laughed. "So what do you want for dinner?"

Peyton and Jamie perched on the stools at the counter, and Lucas stood across from them, resting his elbows on the surface in front of him.

"Pizza! And French fries!" Jamie shouted excitedly.

"James, you can't have pizza _and_ French fries," Lucas explained with a wry smile.

"Why not?" Peyton asked, looking at Lucas then to Jamie. "Now _I_ kind of want pizza and French fries."

She smiled at Lucas and he rolled his eyes, knowing he simply couldn't deny either of the people across from him what they wanted.

"Fine," Lucas groaned. "But if your mom asks, it was Peyton's idea, OK?"

"OK," Jamie said, shrugging his shoulders.

Lucas walked over to the phone and dialed a number from memory, causing Peyton to look at him skeptically.

"What? I know the number for Dmitri's," he said with a shrug. "Best pizza in town."

"Don't forget the fries!" Peyton and Jamie shouted in unison, making them both erupt into a fit of giggles.

"Is Mattie going to be OK?" Jamie asked abruptly after their laughter had died down. The concern was apparent in his voice.

"Oh, sweetie. He'll be just fine," Peyton tried to convince him. Lucas watched them with his arms crossed as he leaned against a counter across the kitchen.

"Mom looked worried," he pointed out sadly.

"That's what moms do, Jamie. They take care of you and they worry," she said in an attempt to reassure him. "You know how when you're sick you can tell your mom and dad what's wrong and they can give you medicine, or soup, our rub your tummy?" Jamie nodded and looked up at her. "Well Matthew can't talk yet, so he can't say what's hurting."

"But the doctor can find out?" he asked, the worry fading from his face.

"Exactly," she said with a nod. "And since your mom and dad are the best mom and dad in the world, they took him there so the doctor can make him better."

"Thanks, aunt Peyton." He threw his arms around her neck and she hugged him back, looking to Lucas who was smiling back at the scene. Jamie pulled away and hopped off his stool, tearing off towards the living room. "I'm gonna go draw him a picture."

"Alright. We'll let you know when you have to wash up for dinner," Lucas chuckled.

Peyton clutched her heart and took a deep breath, but Lucas spoke before she could.

"That was adorable," he said, walking to her and pressing a kiss to her temple.

"I almost cried," she laughed. "I don't know what I'd do if I had to explain things like that every day."

"Aaah, you'll be great," he reassured her, making her smile.

She noticed that he'd said 'you will be' not 'you would be'. Her heart soared. Of all the complements she could have received, that unintentional one was the one that affected her most. Through three years of marriage she'd tried to convince herself that she didn't want children, and now she wondered why she had ever settled for that. How could she have been with someone who didn't understand her desire to be a mom?

"Thank you," she whispered, and kissed his cheek. He wasn't really sure what she was thanking him for, but he didn't really care. Seeing a smiling Peyton was worth whatever thing he didn't know he'd done.

She walked into the room where Jamie sat on the floor with papers and pencil crayons scattered on the table. Haley always joked that her son got his love of basketball from his father, and his love of art from Peyton.

"Let's see what you have so far," Lucas said as he sat next to his nephew. "What's this?"

Lucas picked up a drawing that had already been completed. In pencil crayon on the page before him, Matthew was in Nathan's arms with a little jersey and the number 25, Lucas was guarding Nathan, wearing their numbers 22 and 23 respectively, and Jamie was shooting the ball into the net, wearing number 23. At the bottom of the page, there were a few written words: _'The Scott Boys'. _Peyton watched as Lucas' eyes glanced over the page, and smiled when she saw the love in his eyes. This was his family.

"That's really good, Jamie. But how come you and your dad have the same number?" Peyton asked.

"He says I can't wear that number forever because it was retired. But I like it and I don't know what other number I want to be," he explained, still furiously colouring on the page in front of him. "That's for you, uncle Luke."

"Thanks, buddy," Lucas said sincerely, his eyes still fixed on the page in his hands. "You know what? How do you like the number 3?"

"Number 3? Like you had before Skills joined the Ravens and made everyone forget about you?" Jamie asked, surprised. Peyton let out a loud laugh and Lucas glared at her jokingly.

"That's not exactly the way it went, but I'm sure that's what he told you, isn't it?" Jamie nodded. "Well, what do you think? You want to be number 3 like me?"

"Just like you were 22 like your uncle?" Jamie asked.

Lucas hadn't even thought of that. He smiled at the little boy and his innocent view of the world.

"Yeah, just like that," he said. Peyton placed her hand on Lucas' knee and moved her thumb comfortingly. He felt like no one in the world knew him like Peyton did. One simple gesture because she knew he needed it. She always just _knew_.

"Number 3, James Lucas Scott! Starting forward for the Tree Hill Ravens!" the boy shouted, standing and shooting an imaginary jump shot. Lucas and Peyton both laughed. "I like it!"

"It suits you, Jamie," Peyton chuckled. Her eyes met Lucas' and he sent her a quick wink that made her heart melt.

----

Jamie was fed and put to bed by the time Nathan and Haley got back with Matthew. Nathan walked into the house with his hands over his and his son's eyes, and Haley could only laugh as they entered their living room to see Lucas and Peyton sitting at opposite ends of the couch where they'd been talking.

"Is it safe?" Nathan asked.

"Nathan, could you _please_ stop," Haley scolded playfully.

"I don't hear you gagging, so I'm assuming everyone is fully clothed," he teased.

"You're funny, Nate," Peyton said as he uncovered his eyes.

"Seriously, guys, thanks so much," Haley said sincerely. "Matthew's fine, he just has a cold that made his temperature spike a bit."

"Good. I was worried," Lucas said, getting up to press a kiss to his nephew's head. "So you guys are good here?"

"We're good," Haley said with a smile. "Go do...whatever."

"Why do you two think that we're like, hormonal teenagers or something?" Peyton asked with a laugh.

"You know you just want to be alone right now," Nathan pointed out.

"Yup. Let's go," Lucas said quickly, wrapping his arm around Peyton's waist. They all laughed as they said their goodbyes, and Haley let out a little squeal when the door closed behind the two blondes.

"What was that?" Nathan laughed, referring to the sound she'd made.

"They are finally together!" she said happily, before walking towards the stairs.

Nathan just laughed again at his wife, then turned out the lights and followed her. He was happy that his suspicions about his brother and friend had been true. He'd always known, somehow, that they'd get together in the end. Nathan had thought towards the end of their junior year, that Lucas still had feelings for Peyton, but instead he'd gone after Brooke again. Nathan wasn't one to meddle, so he didn't say anything for years. When Joshua and then Kate came into the picture, he should have given up hope. He didn't. And now he wished he'd told someone about it so that he could gloat.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: **So this is the last chapter of this fic. I want to thank you all for reading this! Your reviews have been awesome. I considered making it longer, but the last thing I want is to drag things out too much! So enjoy! I will have some new stories up soon, so you're encouraged to read those as well. Thanks again!

**----**

Lucas and Peyton stepped into his room after what seemed like the longest day on record. Peyton yawned as quietly as she could and turned to see Lucas making a show of locking the door and turning off his phone.

"What are you doing?" she asked with a laugh.

"All the things I should have done this morning." He smirked and walked towards her, leaning in for a kiss just as she started to yawn again.

"I'm sorry," she said sheepishly. She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his chest.

"You want to sleep, don't you?" he asked. She could hear him smile as he spoke, which made her feel less guilty.

"Do you hate me?" she asked timidly, scrunching her nose. Looking like that, there was no way he could ever hate her.

"Of course not," he said, kissing her forehead.

She smiled up at him and pulled away, turning her back to him as she pulled her shirt off over her head. He stood, dumbfounded, as his mouth went dry staring at her bare skin. Her hands moved to the zipper of her jeans and she turned around to see him staring.

"What?" she asked, pushing her jeans off her hips so they pooled in a crumpled pile on the floor, leaving her in just her bra and underwear.

"Uh...what's...um..." he stuttered, making her laugh.

"I'm just getting ready for bed," she explained simply. "You wanna toss me a tee shirt?"

He and Peyton had once had a discussion about whether seeing a woman in a bikini was the same as seeing a woman in her underwear. He, being a man, had said that of course it wasn't. She didn't understand. He stood by that now. He felt he'd never seen that much of her. It made him want to see the rest.

"Luke," she said softly, blushing as she tried to pry his attention away from her body.

He didn't say a word, just grabbed a shirt from his drawer, tossing it towards her. He watched as she pulled the cotton over her head, fiddled with the clasp of her bra, and tugged it out through the sleeve.

"Stop staring," she reprimanded as she climbed beneath the sheets, hiding her long legs from his view.

"Sorry," he chuckled. Now it was his turn to blush. "Maybe you should stop undressing in front of me."

"If that's what you want," she said, raising her brow as she lay back on the pillow.

"Not really," he replied honestly.

He walked to his side of the bed and she watched him as he took off his shirt. He heard her laugh, and he tried not to be offended.

"What now?" he asked, feigning annoyance.

"I never understood why guys take their shirts off like that," she explained. She'd always laughed at how they all seemed to do it the same way - grabbing the back of the collar and pulling it up over their heads.

He just shook his head, for lack of a better response. He couldn't explain it; it was just what he'd always done. He shed his jeans and pulled back the sheets on his side of the bed to lay down next to her. Her arm was over his stomach almost immediately, and he put his arm around her and pulled her into his side. Nothing had ever felt more natural. It felt like they'd done this for years.

Neither of them said a word for a long while, but they each knew the other was still laying awake. She heard him let out a short sigh, as though he'd been trying to hold it in, but just couldn't.

"Luke," she said simply. She knew that was all he'd need to let her in on whatever was bugging him. He knew that was her way of asking him what he was thinking about.

"Are we crazy, Peyton?" he asked softly, trailing his hand up and down her arm.

"Probably," she said with a chuckle, then her tone changed. "You aren't changing your mind, are you?"

"What? No!" he insisted, pulling her closer to him and kissing her forehead. "I was just thinking about everything we've been through, you know?"

"Oh God," she groaned. "That's a long list."

"Two love triangles," he offered.

"Bar slut a.k.a Nikki a.k.a Jake's ex."

"Ouch," he said softly, knowing that had definitely been an obstacle. "Jake, himself."

"Right," she admitted quietly. "Brooke...again."

"Elli's death."

"Keith's death," she said, rubbing her hand on his chest comfortingly.

"You getting shot."

"Psycho Derek."

"Real Derek," he added sarcastically, making her laugh.

"Your heart attack."

"Psycho Derek...again."

"Lily's birth and your mom's hospital stay."

"Dan," he said softly.

"Joshua and Kate."

"That's a lot of stuff," he said with a chuckle. "And that's not even all of it."

"Maybe the crazy part is that it took all those things to get us here," she pointed out, remembering Brooke's words from that day on the beach. "Like we needed all those things to happen to push us together."

"Maybe," he said. She could tell his mind was drifting.

"What's wrong?" she asked, afraid of what he might confess. She pulled away from him slightly so she could look into his eyes.

"Nothing," he insisted.

"Lucas, if we're going to do this? You have to realize that you can't lie to me," she teased.

"I just don't want to say too much," he explained timidly. "And hey, aren't you tired?"

She laughed off his attempt to change the subject. "Luke..."

"I just...I think I've always known, you know? You and me. The more I think about it, the more I realize that..." His voice trailed, afraid to say the words.

"That what?" she asked, her voice gentle and encouraging.

"That I love you, Peyton. That I've always loved you." He said it as though he was admitting it to both of them at the same time. As though he had never meant anything more. As though no truth had ever been more true than that one. He was terrified to have said it, but he just couldn't _not_.

She sat for a moment, waiting for her heart rate to return to normal. She hadn't expected that, but she felt such a contentment to know that's how he felt. She couldn't explain it, even to herself, but it was like that's who she'd been waiting to hear those words from for her whole life.

"Do you know who the first boy I loved was?" she asked, taking his hand in hers.

"Ouch," he said softly. "I say I love you and you start talking about my brother."

"What?!" she said loudly. "No, you idiot. _You_ were the first boy I loved."

"I...I was?" he asked. He was surprised. She'd never told him that before.

"Yeah, you were. And I was so scared of that. Terrified. Of course, it didn't help that you were in a coma and dating my best friend when I realized it," she said with a chuckle.

"Whoa, wait. You loved me _then_?" he asked. Obviously, he'd been completely unaware that she'd ever felt that way about him.

"I thought you knew that."

"No. I didn't. If I'd known that I would've..." his voice trailed. He realized that if he'd only know this 10 years ago, they'd be together now. They'd probably be married and have children. She was right. He _was_ an idiot.

"Would have what?" she asked, running her thumb over his knuckles as she stared at their intertwined hands.

"I would have fought harder. I never would have let you leave me on my porch that night. I would have...I would have done everything differently, Peyton."

She thought for a minute about all the things he'd just said. She would have done it all differently too. Maybe she should have. But somehow, none of that mattered.

"Lucas, if we're going to do this, which we are, clearly, we need to let all that go and just focus on the way things are. I don't want to go back and wonder about all the turning points we didn't have," she said, settling back into his side and running her hand over his chest.

"OK, who's the writer here. Me, or you?" he asked with a chuckle. "You're right, though."

"I know I am," she said smugly.

They were quiet for a while. He was thinking of his sudden declaration and how it was too much, too soon. He shouldn't have said it, but he and Peyton had never been able to hide their feelings from one another. He didn't want to. He wanted her to know. He would have loved if she'd said it back.

Peyton lay there, listening to his breathing, and thinking of those three words he'd said. She felt like, in any other relationship, she would have felt like it was too soon. She should have been scared away, but she wasn't. She still snuggled into his side and draped her leg over his. Then she realized that she _wanted_ him to love her. She remembered how she'd felt as a teenager in love for the first time, and it dawned on her that this was the only time since then that she'd truly felt this way.

"Lucas," she whispered.

"Hmm?"

"I love you, too." She said it with a quiet conviction to prove how true it was. He just chuckled contentedly and pulled her into his side. "And suddenly I'm really not tired."

"Is that right?" he asked, rolling her onto her back and himself on top of her, causing her to giggle at his sudden burst of energy. "Did Peyton Sawyer just _giggle_?"

"Shut up and kiss me, Lucas," she growled. He did as he was told.

----

Lucas woke the next morning and reached for a body that wasn't there. He frantically sat up and looked around the room, only to find a note on the pillow where he was hoping her beautiful face would be resting.

_Stop freaking out. I'm fine. Went to the office to set things up. Coffee in the kitchen. _

_-xoxo Peyton_

He laughed to himself at how well she knew him. He pulled on a pair of boxers and padded sleepily to the kitchen where, sure enough, there was still hot coffee left in the pot for him. He was a little disappointed that she wasn't there when he woke up, but he was glad she was finally taking steps toward turning her dream into a reality. He stood in the kitchen, drinking coffee and feeling guilty for not being there to help her with things. But, knowing Peyton, she'd want the time to familiarize herself with her new space. He could picture her there with music playing as she explored and mentally mapped out where she was going to put her furniture.

He worked for a couple hours, returning emails and going over some of the pages he'd previously written. All of his thoughts kept going back to her and what they'd done the night before. They'd each said a proper 'I love you'. Every time he thought about it, a shiver ran down his spine. The more he thought about her, the more he was convinced he'd never loved anyone like he loved Peyton. She was amazing. She was everything he wanted. He could see a future with her. He could picture being married to her and having children with her.

After a while, his eyes got heavy. He hadn't slept much the night before, so he decided on a nap. He lay down on the middle his bed in his tee shirt and jeans, and drifted off to sleep fairly quickly.

Peyton drove home from her office, though it was still strange to call it that, feeling like she'd accomplished more than she'd even set out to do. She'd cleared out a lot of the extra clutter that had lined the space and given the floor a thorough cleaning. She'd chosen paint colours and ordered her desk from a local furniture store. She was happy to have done so much. Now, as she walked up the steps to Lucas' room, she felt happy to be able to share that all with him.

She pushed the door open and saw him laying on his bed, one arm on his stomach, one behind his head. He was sleeping. She checked the clock and saw that it was only 3:00. She walked over to the bed and moved so she was straddling him, and leaned down to kiss him. He moaned when he realized what was happening, and his hands moved to her hips.

"Hi," she said softly as she pulled away.

"Hi," he said with a satisfied smile. "What are you doing?"

"Waking up my boyfriend in a _very_ fun way," she muttered, placing kisses on his neck while her hands pushed the cotton of his tee shirt up, exposing his skin.

"Not that I'm complaining, but..." his breath caught in his throat when she stopped kissing him to pull her own shirt over her head. All rational thought escaped his head and all that existed in the world was this beautiful woman on top of him.

"What?" she asked, pressing kisses to his neck while her hands roamed over his torso.

"Never mind," he growled. She laughed as he flipped them over so he was on top of her.

----

They lay beneath the sheets, skin on skin as she curled into his side. They had both drifted in and out of sleep, and neither had said a word since they'd collapsed together about an hour earlier.

"Lucas," she said softly, hesitant to wake him.

"Hmm?" He was awake, but groggy, as he absently trailed his fingertips over her back.

"My condo sold. My realtor called me today," she explained.

"Already? Didn't you just list it the other day?" he asked, surprised.

"Yeah. And I got more than asking because of the location." She tipped her head up to look at him.

"That's great, Peyton," he smiled, then kissed her forehead.

"So I have to go back and pack everything. I have a month to find a place here and get everything moved."

The thought of her living anywhere but with him put an ache in his heart. He wanted her with him. In his house and in his bed. He wanted to wake up next to her every morning and have her come home to him every night. He couldn't stand the idea of her living somewhere else.

"Stay here," he pleaded. He knew that his tone of voice would show his desperation.

"What?" she asked, pulling away from him and clutching the sheet to her torso.

"I don't want you to go. I don't want you to live somewhere else and split our time between two houses. I want you to be here. With me." He propped himself up on his elbow as he rambled. She would have thought he was crazy if she couldn't hear the honesty in his voice.

"You want me to move in here?" she asked skeptically.

"I know it's way too soon to even be thinking it, but I am. And you've been staying here anyway and I don't want you to leave." He said the last part quietly, almost as thought he was embarrassed to have pleaded with her so desperately.

She didn't say anything. She just turned away from him for a moment and stared around the room. She wanted to share this room with him. She could see herself making him coffee in the morning before practice and collapsing onto the sofa with him at night, feigning interest in a basketball game just to be next to him. She knew that she shouldn't even consider it, but she'd wasted so much time without him, that all she wanted to do was be with him.

"I'm trying not to get scared about the silence, but what are you thinking?" he asked nervously.

"I am thinking that I can't picture myself living anywhere else," she said, with a sense of bewilderment. He pulled her back towards him and kissed her again.

"I don't know what I would have done if you'd said no," he said with a chuckle.

"Did you really think I would?" she asked.

"I don't know. I didn't think about it. I just...I need you," he admitted softly.

"I need you, too, Luke. I've always needed you." She leaned up and kissed him again. "You'll never get rid of me now."

She knew wouldn't ever leave him. She felt a comfort and a security with him that she'd never felt before. She felt at ease and at peace with herself and her life. She could see a future with him beyond just moving in together. The only regret she had was not realizing all this sooner.

She'd just given him the perfect promise. One that he didn't know he'd been waiting his whole life to hear.

"You know? I think I'm OK with that," he said, pulling her closer to his side.

**----**

_**-Fin-**_


End file.
